K^1  Of  ' 


Tirsi  Presbyterian  Cburcb 

Cancaster,  Ol)io 

1905 


fcibrarjp  of  Che  t:heolo0(cal  ^eminarjp 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 
PRESENTED  BY 

William  C.  Ewlng 

BX  9211  .L35  F57  1905 
Lancaster,  o.  First 

Presbyterian  church. 
Proceedings  of  the 

centennial  celebration  of 


Jl(^  '/W- 


PRESENT  EDIFICE— ERECTED  1892 


PROCEEDINGS 

OF     THE 

CENTENNIAL 
CELEBRATION 

OF    THE 

FIRST    PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH 

OF 

/ 

LANCASTER,    OHIO 


HELD 


OCTOBER    20th,    21st    and    22nd,    1905 


Published  under  the  direction  of  the  Session 


CONTENTS 

Present  Church  Directory. 
Preface. 
List  of  Pastors. 

General  History — By  Rev.  John  Gourley. 
History  of  the  Session — By  Mr.  S.  J.  Wolfe. 
History  of  the  Music —  By  Mr.  Thos.  E.  Billingburst. 
History  of  the  Sabbath  School — By  Mr  J.  L.  Graham. 
History  of  the  Women's  Missionary  Society. 
History  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society. 
Reminiscences  of  Rev.  John^  Wright — By  Rev.  John   EHot 

Wright,  D.  D.  and  Mr^Irvin  B.  Wright. 
Address  on  Life  of  Rev.  Wm.  Cox — By  Prof.  Wm.  Cox  Ewing. 
Letter  of  Rev.  J.  Gibson  Lowrie,  D.  D. 
Address  of  Rev.  R.  C.  Galbraith,  D.  D. 
Letter  of  Rev.  Geo.  H.  Fullerton,  D.  D. 
Letter  of  Rev.  H.  S.  Snodgrass. 
Address  on  the  Life  of  Rev.  Joseph  R.  Boyd — By  Prof.  W.  W. 

Boyd. 
Hymn  and  Letter  of  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Hannum. 
List  of  Mementoes. 


LIST    OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

Present  Church  Edifice. 

First  Church  Edifice. — Erected  1823. 

Second  Church  Edifice. — Erected  1834. 

Interior  View  of  Auditorium. 

Session,  1905. 

Board  of  Trustees,  1905. 

Rev.  John  Wright. 

Rev.  Wm.  Cox. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Lovvrie,  D.  D. 

Rev.  R.  C.  Galeraith,  D.  D. 

Rev.  G.  H,  Fullerton,  D,  D. 

Rev.  J.  A.  Worden,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 

Rev.  G.  H.  Webster.  ^ 

Rev.  H.  S.  Snodgrass. 

Rev.  J.  R.  Boyd. 

Rev.  Wm.  MacMillan. 

Rev.  John  Gourley. 

Officers  of  Sabbath  School. 


DIRECTORY    1905 

PASTOR. 
Rev.  John  Gourley. 


John  Outcalt. 
S.  J.  Wolfe. 
-G.  A.  Graham. 
JopjN  Gravett. 


ELDERS. 


C.  T.  McCoy. 
H.  A.  Cassidy. 
J.  M.  Sutphen. 
W.  B.  Henry. 


C.  S.  Hutchinson. 
Adam  Schopp. 


TRUSTEES. 
J.  L.  Graham. 

G.    M.   HiCKLE. 


O.  A.  Wheaton. 
W.  A.  Meikle. 


MUSIC. 

Miss  Lilian  A.  Conselyea,  Organist. 
Mrs.  George  Reyle,  Director. 


SABBATH  SCHOOL. 

J.  L.  Graham,  Superintendent. 

O.  A.  Wheaton^  Associate  Superintendent. 

Miss  Margaret  Weakley,  Superintendent  of  Primary  Dept. 

Miss  Frances  Graham,  Assistant. 

J.  D.  LaRoss,  Secretary. 

Miss  Florence  Spalsbury,  Assistant. 

C.  L.  Dickey,  Treasurer. 

Harry  Bumgardner,  Librarian. 

Miss  Edith  Benadum,  Pianist. 

Mrs.  Wm.  A.  Meikle,  Assistant. 


LADIES'  HOME  and  FOREIGN  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Mrs.  S.  J.  Wolfe,  President. 

]\(ks.  C.  T.  McCoy,  Vice  President. 

Miss  Caroline  T.  Baker,  Secretary. 

Miss  Ellen  M.  Carnes,  Treasurer. 

Mrs.  Maria  Weakley,  Secretary  of  Literature. 


YOUNG  PEOPLE'S  SOCIETY  of  CHRISTIAN 
ENDEAVOR. 

Miss  Bess  Outcalt,  President. 

Miss  Ellen  M.  Carnes,  Vice  President. 

Miss  Maud  Stevenson,  Recording  Secretary. 

Miss  Rose  Baker,  Treasurer. 

Miss  Margaret  Weakley,  Corresponding  Secretary. 

Miss  Lilian  A.  Conselyea,  Pianist. 


LADIES'  AID  SOCIETY. 

Mrs.  J.  AL  Roberts,  President. 
Mrs.  C.  T.  McCoy,  Vice  President. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Watkins,  Secretary. 
Miss  Ellen  M.  Carnes,  Treasurer. 


CENTENNIAL  COMMITTEE. 

Rev.  John  Gourley, 
John  K.  Henry, 
C.  T.  McCoy, 
S.  J.  Wolfe, 
George  M.  Hickle. 


SEXTON. 


John  T.  Scott. 


PREFACE 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Session  and  Trustees,  held  in  the  lecture 
room  of  the  church,  June  i6,  1905,  it  was  decided  to  celebrate 
the  Centennial  of  the  First  Pastorate  of  this  church,  October 
20,  21  and  22,  1905. 

A  Committee  was  appointed  consisting  of  Rev.  John  Gourley 
and  Messrs.  John  K.  Henry,  S.  J.  Wolfe,  C.  T.  McCoy  and  Geo. 
M.  Hickle,  to  make  the  necessary  arangements  for  the  celebration. 
Rev.  John  Gourley  was  requested  to  prepare  a  history  of  the 
church  from  the  time  of  its  organization  until  the  present  time. 

It  was  also  decided  to  invite  all  former  pastors  who  may  be 
living,  and  the  decendants  of  all  fonner  pastors,  to  be  present 
at  the  exercises,  as  well  as  the  members  of  the  Presbytery  of  Co- 
lumbus .and  other  ministers  who  might  be  interested. 

As  the  time  approached,  the  following  invitation  was  issued : 

1805.  1905. 

The  Session  and  Congregation 

cordially  invite  you  to  attend  the  exercises 

in  connection  until  the  celebration 

of  the 

ONE  HUNDREDTH  ANNIVERSARY 

of  the  first  pastorate  of 

THE  FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH, 

Lancaster,  Ohio,  October,  20-22,  1905. 

The  local  press  very  kindly  co-operated  with  the  Pastor  and 
members  of  the  Committee  in  arousing  an  interest  in  the  exer- 
cises. The  weather  was  favorable  and  the  attendance  through- 
out was  exceptionally  good,  while  the  interest  increased  from 
the  opening  to  the  closing. 


INTERIOR  OF  PRESENT  EDIFICE 


Among  those  who  were  present  from  out  of  town,  were  the 
Rev.  John  EHot  Wright,  D.  D.,  Mr.  Edward  E.  Wright  and 
Mrs.  Lucy  Wright  Gerwig,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa. ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C. 
W.  Graves,  of  Logansport,  Indiana,  grandchildren,  and  Mrs. 
Mary  Wright  Gill,  of  Washington  City,  a  great  granddaughter 
of  Rev.  John  Wright ;  Prof.  Wm.  Cox  Ewing,  of  Yonkers,  N.  Y., 
and  Mrs.  E.  S.  Martin,  of  New  Straitsville,  Ohio,  grandchildren 
of  Rev.  William  Cox ;  Prof.  W.  W.  Boyd,  of  Columbus  and  Mr. 
J.  Courtland  Boyd,  of  Cleveland,  sons  of  Rev.  J.  R.  Boyd,  with 
their  wives ;  and  many  who  were  formerly  members  of  the  church. 

The  following  was  the  order  of  exercises : 

Friday,  October  20,  7  P.  M. 

Organ  Prelude — Overture A.  Guibnant 

Miss  Conselyea. 

Anthem — The  Days  of  Our  Years Eichorn 

Choir. 

Scripture  Reading. 

Prayer— Rev.  R.  C.  Galbraith,  D.  D. 

Hymn. 

Reminiscences— Rev.  John  WVight— Rev.  John  Eliot  Wright,  D.  D. 

Rev.  Wm.  Cox Prof.  Wm.  Cox  Ewing 

Hymn. 
Reminiscences — Rev.  John  M.  Lowrie,  D.  D. 
Rev.  R.  C.  Galbraith,  D.  D. 

History  of  ]\Iusic  in  the  Church Mr.  Thos.  E.  Billinghurst 

Contralto  Solo — Evening  Prayer — "EH"' Mrs.  Geo.  Reyle 

Benediction. 
Postlude — Triumphal  March Costa 

Saturday,  October  21,  1905. 
On  Saturday  afternoon  a  most  delightful  reception  was  held 
in  the  church  parlors  from  two  to  four  o'clock. 

7  P.  M. 

Organ    Prelude — "Scherzo-Symphonique" Dcbat-Poiisan 

Miss  Conselyea. 

Duet— Still  With  Thee Marston 

Mrs.  Albert  Henry  and  Mrs.  George  Reyle. 

7 


Prayer— Dr.  Moffat. 
Hymn. 
Address — Rev.  Wm.  O.  Thompson,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 
Reminiscences — Rev.  George  H.  Fullerton,  D.  D. 

Hymn. 
Reminiscences — Rev.  James  A.  Worden,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 
Rev.  George  H.  Webster. 
Rev.  H.  S.  Snodgrass. 

Solo — There  is  a  Land  Mine  Eye  Hath  Seen Crowinshield 

Miss  Du  Bois. 
Reminiscences— Rev.  Joseph  R.  Boyd.  . . '.  . .  .Prof.  W.  W.  Boyd 
Reminiscences — Rev.  Thomas  S.  Huggart. 
Rev.  WiUiam  MacMillan. 
Rev.  John  Gourley. 
Hymn. 

History  of  the  Session Mr.  S.  J.  Wolfe 

Doxology. 
Benediction. 
Postlude— Marche  Romane Chas.   Gounod 

Sabbath,  October  22,  1905—8:45  A.  M.,  Sabbath  School. 

Song By  the  School 

Prayer. 

Solo— Home  of  the  Soul Phillip  Phillips 

Miss  Uda  Marie  Sturgeon. 

History  of  the  School Mr.  John  L.  Graham,  Superintendent 

Addresses— Dr.  Moffat  and  Dr.  J.  \N .  Rickey. 

Song By  the  School 

Lord's  Prayer  in  Concert. 

10  A.  M. 

Organ  Prelude— Grand  Processional  March Clarence  Eddy 

Miss  Conselyea. 

Doxology. 

Lord's  Prayer. 

Response — Quartette. 

Responsive  Reading. 

Prayer — Rev.  John  Eliot  Wright,  D.  D. 


Offertory — Meditation    Bach 

Aiitlieni — Thou,  Lord  of  Hosts Thayer 

Quartette. 
Historical  Address Rev.  John  Gourley 

Centennial  Hymn. 

Our  father's  God,  to  thee  we  raise 
The  anthem  of  our  grateful  praise. 
Inspire  each  thought,  rejoice  each  heart. 
The  spirit  of  thy  grace  impart. 

Within  these  hallowed  walls  we  meet. 
Thy  goodness  through  the  past  repeat. 
Rich  mercies  crown  the  era  done, 
O  Saviour !  bless  the  opening  one. 

The  century  fell  "from  out  thy  hand," 
The  days  and  hours  "like  grains  of  sand." 
The  church  our  fathers  planted  then 
We  consecrate  to  thee  again. 

The  people  thou  hast  led  for  years 
Of  joy  and  sorrow,  hopes  and  fears. 
Lead  on  ;  bring  all  within  thy  fold ; 
Let  the  new  age  surpass  the  old. 

Benediction. 
Organ  Postlude — March,   from  Aida G.    Verdi 

2  P.  M. 

Organ  Prelude — ^Lircia  Villanesca P.   Fnmagalli 

Miss  Conselyea. 

Solo — Nearer,  :\Iy  God,  to  Thee Mrs.  Wm.  F.  Goetz 

Duet Mrs.  Henry  and  Mrs.  Reyle 

Letters  and  Brief  Congratulatory  Addresses  by  Representatives 
of  Presbytery  and  the  Local  Pastors. 

Soprano  Solo — Abide  With  Me DcKoven 

Mrs.  Henry. 
Benediction. 

9 


7  P.  M. 

Organ  Prelude — In  B  Flat F.  E.  West 

Miss  Conselyea. 
Scripture  Reading. 

Baritone  Solo — Land  of  My  Dreams 

Dr.  Walter  Scott. 
Prayer. 
Hymn. 

Solo — Rest  of  Rests Rotoli 

Mrs.  Reyle. 
Address — The  Development  of  Our  Church  in  Our  Country 

Rev.  James  D.  Moffat,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 

Duet— Thy   Will   be   Done Mendelssohn 

Mrs.  Reyle  and  Dr.  Scott. 
Benediction. 
Postlude— Hosanna   Paul  Wachs 


LIST    OF    PASTORS 

John  Wright,  1805- 1836. 

William  Cox,  1836-1850. 

John  M.  Lowrie,  D.  D.,  1850- 1856. 

Robert  C.  Galbraith,  D.  D.,  1857- 1862. 

A.  T.  Fullerton,  D.  D.,  Stated  Supply,  1862. 

J.  M.  Drake,  Stated  Supply,  1862. 

George  H.  Fullerton,  D.  D.,  1862-1864. 

Edward  P.  Sv^'ift,  Stated  Supply,  1864. 

James  A.  Worden,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  Stated  Supply,  1865. 

Eben  Muse,  Stated  Supply,  1865- 1866. 

George  H.  Webster,  1866-1867. 

Horace  S.  Snodgrass,  1 868-1 871. 

Joseph  R.  Boyd,  1872- 1885. 

E.  B.  Andrews,  LL.  D.,  Stated  Supply,   1885. 

Thomas  S.  Huggart,  1886-1889. 

William  MacMillan,   1889-1892. 

John  Gourley,  1893 — 

10 


GENERAL    HI^ORY 

By  Rev,  John  Gourley. 

It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  fix  the  exact  date  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  this  church.  At  the  organization  of  the  Synod  of  Pitts-, 
burgh,  in  1802,  the  Presbytery  of  Ohio  reported  New  Lan- 
caster and  Rush  Creek  as  "Vacant  and  able  to  support  a  pas- 
tor." In  those  days  the  church  was  often  called  by  a  name 
which  was  different  from  the  town  in  which  the  church  was 
located.  And  in  accordance  with  that  custom  the  church  here 
was  called  "Hock-Hocking"— later  abbreviated  to  Hocking, 
and  then  later  on,  in  1819,  to  "The  First  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Lancaster."  This  accounts  for  the  fact  that  in  the  records 
and  reports  of  the  Synod  and  General  Assembly  we  find  the 
names  used  interchangeably. 

The  call  to  the  Rev.  John  Wright  was  signed  by  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  united  congregations  of  Hocking  and  Rush 
Creek  on  the  15th  day  of  March,  1805.  This  congregational 
meeting  was  moderated  by  William  Trimble,  and  the  call  was 
signed  by  John  McNaghton,  John  McMeen,  George  Coffin- 
berry  and  Timothy  Sturgeon,  father  of  the  late  Thomas  Stur- 
geon, of  the  Hocking  Congregation,  and  by  Isaac  Larimer  and 
John  :McCormick  of  the  Rush  Creek  Congregation;  these 
brethren  having  been  unanimously  chosen  by  the  Congrega- 
tions to  sign  and  forward  the  call. 

The  call  was  accepted  on  the  15th  day  of  October,  1805, 
and  Mr.  Wright  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the  pastorate  No- 
vember 1-lth  following.  There  is  a  certificate  among  the  old 
papers  which  once  belonged  to  Mr.  Wright,  certifying  "That 
the  Rev.  John  Wright  is  a  regular  ordained  minister  belonging 
to  the  Presbyterian  Church,  now  member  of  Ohio  Presbytery, 
and  pastor  of  the  united  Congregation  of  Hocking  and  Rush 
Creek."  It  is  signed  by  the  Rev,  John  Rea,  Clerk  of  Presby- 
tery, and  dated  June  SOth,  1806, 

11 


The  first  Sessional  record  is  dated  June  20th,  1806,  and  is 
as  follows :  "The  session  of  Hocking  Congregation  met, 
agreeably  to  appointment,  at  the  house  of  James  Moody  (?). 
Members  present:  John  Wright,  Moderator;  George  Coffin- 
berry,  George  Morrison,  Joseph  Work.  Constituted  with 
prayer.  The  following  persons  were  admitted  to  the  com- 
munion of  the  Church :  On  certificate,  Joseph  Work,  Agnes 
Work,  James  Duncan,  Mary  Duncan,  Robert  Work,  Elizabeth 
Sackett,  Peter  Sturgeon,  Rebeckah  Sturgeon,  John  Wilson, 
Sarah  Wilson,  George  Cofifinberry,  Elizabeth  Coffinberry,  Wil- 
liam Baird,  Jane  Baird,  John  Baird,  Jane  Edgar,  Samuel 
Hooper,  Sarah  Hooper,  John  Ewing,  Jane  Ewing,  Patsy 
Marshall.  On  examination,  George  Morrison,  Anne  Morrison, 
Jacob  Powlise,  Mary  Powlise.     Concluded  with  prayer." 

It  will  be  observed  that  those  who  constituted  the  Ses- 
sion were  all  admitted  to  membership  in  the  Church — i.  e., 
they  ;-eceived  themselves,  two  of  them  by  letter  and  one  of 
them  on  profession  of  faith.  At  least  the  names  are  the  same. 
I  think  it  possible  that  the  organization  prior  to  this  time  was 
imperfect — that  the  congregation  had  elected  officers,  but  they 
had  not  been  formally  inducted  into  office,  and  that  not  even 
a  roll  had  been  made  out,  but  that  as  soon  as  Mr.  Wright  was 
ordained  and  installed,  they  proceeded  to  perfect  the  organi- 
zation and  to  enroll  the  members. 

There  were  twenty-five  of  these  "Charter  Members" — if  we 
may  so  designate  them.  They  came  from  Pennsylvania,  Vir- 
ginia, and  some  directly  from  Scotland  and  Ireland. 

President  Roosevelt,  in  his  "Winning  of  the  West,"  says : 

"The  backwoodsmen  were  Americans  by  birth  and  training, 
and  of  mixed  race ;  but  the  dominant  strain  in  their  blood  was 
that  of  the  Presbyterian  Irish — the  Scotch  Irish,  as  they  were 
after  called.  Full  credit  has  been  awarded  the  Roundhead  and 
the  Cavalier  for  their  leadership  in  our  history ;  nor  have  we 
been  altogether  blind  to  the  deeds  of  the  Hollander  and  the 
Huguenot ;  but  it  is  doubtful  if  we  have  wholly  realized  the 
importance  of  the  part  played  by  the  stern  and  virile  people, 
the  Irish,  whose  preachers  taught  the  creed  of  Knox  and 
Calvin. 

12 


FIRST  EDIFICE— ERECTED  1823 


"These  Irish  representatives  of  the  Covenanters  were  in 
tlT«  West  ahiiost  what  the  Puritans  were  in  the  Northeast  and 
more  than  the  CavaHer  in  the  South.  Mingled  with  the  de- 
scendants of  many  other  races,  they  nevertheless  formed  the 
kernel  of  the  distinctively  and  intensely  American  stock,  who 
were  the  pioneers  of  our  people  in  their  march  westward,  the 
vanguard  of  the  army  of  fighting  settlers,  who,  with  axe  and 
rifle  won  their  way  from  the  Alleghanies  to  the  Rio  Grande 
and  the  Pacific." 

Some  of  the  families  which  were  identified  with  the  Church 
in  its  early  days  have  been  influential  in  the  social,  political 
and  business,  as  well  as  the  religious  life  of  the  community 
for  generations.  This  has  been  eminently  true  of  the  Works, 
the  Trimbles,  the  Sturgeons,  the  Ewings,  the  Duncans,  the 
Wilsons,  the  McFarlands  and  many  others,  who  became  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  later  on. 

INCORPORATION. 

At  a  meeting  held  Nov.  24,  1819,  it  was  resolved  to  be  incor- 
porated under  the  name  of  "The  Congregation  of  Lancaster," 
according  to  the  law  of  Ohio  passed  Feb.  5,  1819. 

Whether  the  Charter  was  lost,  or  what  became  of  it,  his- 
tory and  tradition  are  both  silent.  But  it  was  incorporated 
as  the  "First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Lancaster"  by  a  special 
act  of  the  Legislature  of  Ohio,  passed  Feb.  4,  1836.  The  in- 
corporators were  S.  F.  McCracken,  F.  A.  Foster,  W.  J.  Reese, 
David  Ewing,  Joseph  Work  and  Wm.  V.  Thorne. 

This  Charter  was  amended  by  the  Legislature  of  Ohio, 
April  13,  1893.  Then,  on  March  24,  1904,  the  Congregation 
voted  to  accept  and  adopt  the  provisions  of  Title  II,  Part 
Second,  Revised  Statutes  of  Ohio,  relating  to  corporations, 
now  in  force.  And  a  complete  set  of  by-laws  were  adopted. 
(See  Congregational  Records,  March  21,  1904.) 

BUILDINGS. 

The  first  services  were  probably  held  in  the  rude  cabins  of 
the  pioneers  until  the  completion  of  the  first  Court  House  in 

13 


1807,  w^ien  the  congregation  occupied  it  as  a  regular  place 
of  worship  for  about  sixteen  years. 

At  a  congregational  meeting,  held  Nov.  24,  1819,  it  was 
resolved,  "That  the  Trustees  be  requested  to  draw  up  sub- 
scription papers  and  have  them  circulated,  to  receive  contribu- 
tions for  the  purchasing  of  a  site  and  building  a  church  at  as 
early  a  date  as  possible." 

They  secured  the  lot  upon  which  the  present  edifice  stands, 
including  the  ground  to  the  north,  and  the  building  was 
erected  where  Mr.  S.  J.  Wright  afterward  resided.  This  first 
building  was  a  modest,  unpretentious  brick  structure — the  sec- 
ond brick  building  in  the  town — one  story  in  height,  and  cost 
$1,600.  The  Trustees  shrewdly  stipulated  that  the  contract- 
ors, Messrs.  Christopher  Weaver  and  J.  A.  Weakley,  were  to 
collect  $1,200  from  the  subscribers. 

The  size  of  the  building  was  50x30  feet,  with  the  pulpit  in 
the  east  end.  There  were  thirty-two  pews,  which  were  esti- 
mated to  seat  about  two  hundred  people. 

Pew  No.  1  was  reserved  for  the  pastor,  and  the  pew-holders 
were  as  follows : 


2.  Joseph  Work. 

3.  Samuel  Effinger. 

4.  Will  Cox. 

5.  Jacob  Greene. 

6.  Latta  &  Connell. 

7.  Will  Hunter. 

8.  Jesse  Beecher. 

9.  Will  W.  Irwin. 

10.  Schofield  &  Garraghty. 

11.  Will  Naphten. 

12.  Steinman  &  Foster. 

13.  King  &  Sherman. 

14.  Brice  Sterne  (?) 

15.  Sanderson  &  Hanson. 

16.  S.  F.  McCracken. 

17.  Watt  L.  Cochran. 


18.  Duble  &  Grubb. 

19.  Hunter  &  Eddingfield. 

20.  John  Noble. 

21.  Allen  Yoerken  &  Samuel 

Matlack. 

22.  Thomas  H.  Gushing. 

23.  Wilson  W.  Lattimer. 

24.  Will  Trimble  &  S.  Rogers. 

25.  Weakley  &  Vanpelt. 

26.  John  Smith. 

27.  David  Ewing. 

28.  Doctor  Ezra  Clark. 

29.  Robert  Wilson. 

30.  Thomas  Steurgeon. 

31.  Timothy  Sturgeon. 


14 


SECOND  EDIFICE-ERECTED  1834 


In  1832,  or  nine  years  after  the  completion  of  this  buiUling, 
it  was  sold,  with  sixty  feet  front,  to  the  School  Board  for 
$750.  hut  the  congregation  was  to  retain  the  use  of  it  for  one 
year. 

During  that  year  steps  were  taken  for  the  erection  of  a 
new  and  larger  building  on  the  site  of  the  present  edifice.  It 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  completed  within  the  year,  and 
the  congregation  returned  again  to  the  Court  House ;  but  was 
probably  occupied  some  time  during  1834. 

The  cost  of  this  building  is  ''not  known.  It  was  a  two- 
story  brick  building,  and  at  the  time  it  was  built  was  con- 
sidered a  very  handsome  structure. 

The  auditorium  was,  according  to  Mr.  J.  M.  Work,  45x51 
feet  inside.  The  vestibule  about  six  feet.  Allowing  three 
feet  for  the  walls,  the  outside  size  of  the  building,  including 
the  vestibule,  but  not  the  veranda,  was  about  G0x48  feet. 
The  veranda  was  about  ten  feet.  Originally  there  were  stone 
steps  extending  across  the  entire  front  of  the  building,  and 
the  landing  in  front  of  the  church  not  being  paved,  afforded 
the  boys  a  convenient  place  to  play  marbles. 

Inside  there  was  a  gallery  extending  around  the  north  and 
south  sides  and  across  the  east  end,  while  the  pulpit  was  in 
the  west  end.  The  architect  was  Isaac  Church.  Mr.  J.  A. 
Weakley  was  the  builder. 

Many  changes  and  repairs  were  made  during  the  sixty- 
six  or  sixty-seven  years  which  it  served  the  congregation. 
Some  of  these  changes  we  shall  notice  as  we  proceed. 

The  last  service  held  in  this  church  was  on  May  6,  1891, 
when  the  pastor.  Rev.  William  MacMillan,  delivered  a  very 
interesting  and  eloquent  historical  discourse,  which  has  been 
helpful  in  the  preparation  of  this  address. 

What  tender  memories  and  hallowed  associations  must 
have  clustered  about  the  house  in  which  God's  people  had 
worshipped  for  so  many  years;  in  which  so  many  souls  had 
been  born  into  the  kingdom,  and  so  many  had  been  edified 
and  comforted ! 

I  think  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  every  pastor  of  this 
church,  except  the  present,  preached  in  that  building. 

15 


THE  PRESENT  BUILDING. 

At  a  congregational  meeting,  held  June  10,  1890,  the  con- 
gregation decided  to  take  preliminary  steps  toward  securing 
a  new  building.  Messrs.  S.  J.  Wright,  Thomas  Sturgeon  and 
W.  B.  Henry  were  appointed  a  committee  to  secure  subscrip- 
tions. At  a  meeting  held  Jan.  20,  1891,  this  committee  reported 
subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  $4,889,  and  the  sale  of  the  par- 
sonage for  $3,000,  thus  providing  a  fund  of  $7,889  to  begin 
with. 

The  Trustees,  namely,  S.  J.  Wright,  George  Cunningham 
and  Rudolph  Rising,  with  A.  B.  Gillett  and  John  G.  Reeves, 
were  appointed  a  Building  Committee. 

The  committee  was  instructed  to  ascertain  whether  the 
old  lot  was  suitable  for  a  building  with  both  auditorium  and 
Sabbath-school  room  on  the  same  floor,  the  auditorium  to 
seat  500  and  the  Sabbath-school  room  250,  and  if  so  to  pro- 
cure plans  for  the  new  building  with  the  auditorium  on  the 
north  side.  The  committee  reported  the  lot  large  enough, 
and  the  congregation  authorized  the  erection  of  the  new  edi- 
fice on  the  same  lot,  but  changed  the  location  of  the  audi- 
torium from  the  north  to  the  south  side.  The  seating  capacity 
of  the  auditorium  proves  to  be  only  about  350.  Mr.  I.  Vorys 
was  the  contractor  and  Mr.  Yost  architect. 

May  4,  1891,  the  congregation  accepted  the  offer  of  the  City 
Council  tendering  the  use  of  the  City  Hall  during  the  erection 
of  the  new  building.  The  corner-stone  was  quietly  laid  July 
29,  1891. 

On  Dec.  29,  1891,  the  chairman,  Mr.  S.  J.  Wright,  made  the 
following  statement : 

Contractor  and  Architect's  bill    $13,616  95 

Paid  Mr.  Vorys,  Contractor $9,810 

Paid  Mr.  Yost,  Architect 267    10,077  00* 

Balance  yet  to  be  paid $  3,539  95 

16 


Amount    advanced    by     Mr.     Wright    on 

amount   paid    4,339  65 

Estimated  amount  to  complete  the  church  2,575  00 

Total    amount    of    indebtedness,    Dec. 

29,  1891  $10,454  60 

To  offset  this  the  ladies  have  $2,000 

Uncollected  subscriptions   2,500       4,500  00 


Balance  to  be  raised $  5,954  60 

But  some  of  these  figures  are  only  estimates,  and  we  learn 
from  a  report  dated  Jan,  13,  1893,  that  the  total  cost  of  the 
building  and  furnishing  of  the  church  was  $17,162.63,  and  that 
the  indebtedness  at  the  time  of  completion  was  $6,682.63. 

The  Trustees  were  instructed  to  borrow  the  money  and 
pay  off  the  indebtedness.  An  additional  committee  was  ap- 
pointed consisting  of  Messrs.  C.  T.  McCoy,  J.  M.  Work  and 
George  Cunningham  to  solicit  funds  to  meet  these  obliga- 
tions. The  church  was  first  occupied  Thanksgiving  Day,  1892. 
Rev.  W.  H.  Lewis  was  the  preacher. 

Owing  to  the  panic  of  1893,  and  general  financial  depression 
which  followed,  the  indebtedness  was  not  entirely  liquidated 
until  Jan.  14,  1900,  when  the  new  church  was  dedicated.  Of 
this,  as  well  as  the  improvements  which  have  been  made,  I 
shall  speak  later. 

FIRST  PASTORATE— REV.  JOHN  WRIGHT. 

Although  the  church  was  organized  as  early  as  1802 — the 
first  of  any  denomination  in  the  town,  and  one  of  the  first 
Presbyterian  churches  within  the  bounds  of  the  Presbytery 
of  Columbus,  as  now  constituted — there  is  no  record  of  any 
regular  preaching  until  the  coming  of  the  Rev.  John  Wright. 

We  have  no  means  of  knowing  exactly  when  that  was. 
Mr.  Wiseman,  in  his  Centennial  History,  and  Dr.  Scott,  in  his 
history,  says  that  Mr.  Wright  first  came  to  Lancaster  in  1801, 
and  their  authority  for  this  statement  was  probably  Howe's 

17 


History  of  Ohio;  but  I  am  satisfied  that  this  date  is  too  early 
by  at  least  two  years,  and  I  think  the  reason  for  this  conclusion 
will  appear  as  we  proceed. 

John  Wright  was  the  son  of  John  Wright,  and  was  born  in 
the  southern  part  of  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  Feb.  11, 
1777.  The  family  coming  originally  from  Scotland  or  from 
the  north  of  England,  adjoining  the  Scotch  border.  He 
was  prepared  for  college  at  Jefferson  Academy,  Cannonsburg, 
Pa.,  and  graduated  from  Dickinson  College,  at  Carlisle,  Pa., 
in  1798.  As  there  were  no  Theological  Seminaries  in  those 
days,  he  studied  theology  under  his  uncle.  Dr.  James  Power, 
one  of  the  pioneer  Presbyterian  preachers  of  western  Penn- 
sylvania. He  was  received  under  care  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Redstone  on  the  23rd  day  of  April,  1801,  and  was  licensed 
by  the  same  Presbytery  October  21,  1802. 

The  text  from  which  he  preached  his  trial  sermon  was 
John  iii :  16,  ''God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

Until  the  time  of  his  licensure  there  is  no  record  of  his 
preaching  anywhere,  and  in  those  days  Presbyteries  were 
very  particular  about  young  men  being  regularly  licensed  be- 
fore they  did  any  preaching.  So  it  does  not  seem  probable 
that  he  would  have  visited  this,  or  any  field  in  1801. 

His  time  is  all  accounted  for  in  filling  the  appointments 
of  Presbytery  for  one  year  from  the  time  of  his  licensure, 
except  the  month  of  January,  1803. 

But  at  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Pittsburg,  in  the  autumn 
of  1803,  the  Synod,  acting  as  the  "Western  Missionary  So- 
ciety," which  it  had  constituted  itself  the  year  before,  ap- 
pointed him  "to  spend  two  months  on  a  mission  in  the  settle- 
ments down  the  Ohio  River,  to  commence  his  route  at 
Waynesburg." 

At  the  meeting  of  Synod,  October  3,  1804,  he  reported  the 
appointment  fulfilled,  and  the  Synod  ordered  the  treasurer 
to  pay  him  $22.34,  balance  due  him  for  missionary  service. 
At  this  same  meeting  he  was  again  appointed  on  a  mission 

18 


i 


for  three  months  down   tlie  Ohio   River,  through   the  State 
of  Ohio,  to  set  out  as  soon  as  possible. 

This  appointment  he  subsequently  reported  fulfilled,  but 
he  does  not  seem  to  have  started  on  this  mission  until  the 
middle  of  November,  as  he  had  appointments  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Presbytery  until  that  time.  But  at  a  meeting 
of  Presbytery,  April  18,  1804,  he  obtained  leave  to  itinerate 
out  of  the  bounds  of  Presbytery ;  and  it  is  possible  that  during 
the  six  months  between  this  date  and  his  second  appoint- 
ment by  the  "Western  Missionary  Society"  he  may  have 
visited  this  field,  and  also  have  gone  on  to  Maysville,  Ky., 
as  he  is  said  to  have  done  at  some  time. 

He  may  have  spent  some  time  at  Lancaster,  both  during 
this  trip  and  during  the  winter,  when  fulfilling  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  Missionary  society.  At  any  rate  the  United  Con- 
gregations of  Hocking  and  Rush  Creek  met  on  the  loth  day 
of  March,  1805,  and  voted  to  call  him  to  become  the  pastor 
of  the  two  churches  at  a  salary  of  $300  per  annum  in  regu- 
lar yearly  payments.  This  call  was  formally  placed  in  his 
hands  April  17,  1805 — the  same  day  on  which  Rev.  James 
Hoge  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Lexington,  and  who 
settled  in  Columbus  about  the  same  time  that  Mr.  Wright 
came  to  Lancaster,  and  who  became  one  of  the  most  influ- 
ential citizens,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  ministers 
in  the  State  of  Ohio. 

I\Ir.  Wright  held  this  call,  preaching  in  the  numerous  vacant 
churches  in  the  bounds  of  Presbytery  until  the  meeting,  Octo- 
ber 15,  1805,  at  Old  Salem  Church,  when  he  accepted  it  and 
was  dismissed  as  a  licentiate  from  the  Presbytery  of  Redstone 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Ohio. 

He  arrived  in  Lancaster  Nov.  14,  1805,  and  began  his  first 
and  only  pastorate,  which  lasted  for  over  thirty  years.  He 
was  ordained  and  installed  June  19th,  1806,  and  continued  to 
serve  the  two  churches  until  1832,  when  he  gave  up  Rush 
Creek  and  devoted  his  entire  time  to  Lancaster  until  the  be- 
ginning of  1836.     The  pastoral  relation  was  dissolved  April 

19 


7,  1836.  The  pastorate  was  more  than  twice  the  length  of 
any  subsequent  one. 

The  period  covered  by  this  pastorate  was  an  epoch-making 
period  in  many  respects.  The  national  government  was  in 
its  infancy,  and  just  entering  upon  the  development  of  its 
popular  institutions. 

In  1801  President  Adams  had  made  the  memorable  ap- 
pointment of  John  Marshall  to  be  Chief  Justice  of  the  Su- 
preme Court.  The  uninterpreted,  plastic  constitution  of  the 
Federal  Republic  had  been  placed  in  those  master  hands 
under  which  it  hardened  into  practical,  determined  law. 

In  1803,  Mr.  Jefferson,  tempted  beyond  his  self-control, 
as  it  was  said,  by  the  brilliant  offers  of  Napoleon,  bought 
from  France  the  immense  domain  west  of  the  Mississippi, 
familiarly  known  as  the  Louisiana  Purchase,  and  we  began 
our  marvelous  career  of  expansion — adding  a  million  square 
miles  of  territory,  out  of  which  we  have  carved  twelve  im- 
perial states,  and  made  vast  stretches  of  desert  to  blossom  as 
the  rose. 

In  1804  Lewis  and  Clarke  set  out  upon  their  memorable 
trip  from  St.  Louis,  up  the  Missouri  River,  across  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  down  the  Columbia,  through  the  wonderful 
"Oregon  Country"  to  the  Pacific.  And  there  is  no  more  thrill- 
ing and  romantic  story  of  exploration  and  heroic  achievement 
than  that  of  those  men  who  made  that  historic  journey,  blaz- 
ing the  pathway  along  which  the  pioneers  of  pur  splendid 
civilization  were  to  follow — and  along  which  our  western 
frontier  was  destined  to  travel  until  it  was  lost  in  the  west- 
ern sea. 

Ohio,  the  first  state  formed  out  of  the  great  Northwest  Ter- 
ritory, was  admitted  to  the  union  in  1803.  But  Fairfield 
County  was  established  by  Governor  Arthur  St.  Clair  in 
December,  1800,  with  New  Lancaster  as  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment; but  the  Legislature  changed  the  name  to  Lancaster 
in  1805.  The  county  included  the  present  counties  of  Perry, 
Licking,  Knox,  Delaware  and  Franklin, 

20 


In  1800  there  were  but  a  t\  \v  rude  cabins  wliere  our  pros- 
pcnnis  liule  city  now  flourishes  amid  peace  and  plenty.  It 
was  a  time  of  small  beginnings,  but  these  beginnings  were 
big  with  destiny.  The  thirty  years  of  Mr.  Wright's  pastorate 
were  years  of  struggle  and  hardship.  The  great  forests — 
such  as  shall  never  be  seen  again — had  to  be  cleared  and 
planted,  roads  constructed,  bridges  built  so  that,  as  some  one 
has  said,  "They  were  literally  getting  out  of  the  woods." 

But  the  men  of  that  time  were  men  who  looked  upon  re- 
ligion as  one  of  the  essentials  of  personal,  family  and  civic 
life.  W^hatever  else  they  denied  themselves,  they  were  de- 
termined to  have  schools  and  churches — teachers  and 
preachers.  And  the  influence  of  these  teachers  and  preachers 
has  gone  far  to  make,  not  only  this  community,  but  this  great 
commonwealth,  what  it  is  to-day. 

Atwater,  in  his  History  of  Ohio,  says :  "We  are  compelled 
to  say  that  all  our  clergymen  in  Ohio,  especially  those  who 
have  lived  here  since  our  first  settlement,  deserve  unqualified 
praise  for  their  zeal  and  good  works.  No  men  in  this  state 
have  been  so  useful  in  building  up  society,  in  making  us  a 
moral  and  truly  religious  people.  Their  disinterestedness  and 
benevolence,  their  kindness,  forbearance  and  charity,  zeal,  in- 
dustry and  perseverance  in  well-doing,  merit  and  receive  the 
respect,  gratitude  and  affection  of  all  good  men.  They  have 
labored  zealously,  faithfully  and  long,  and  their  pay  has  been 
trifling.  They  have  always  been  friends  of  liberty,  and  they 
would  be  the  very  last  men  in  the  nation  to  overturn  our  free 
institutions." 

In  1805  Mr.  Wright  entered  upon  the  arduous,  important 
work  of  one  of  these  pioneer  preachers.  Several  churches 
were  organized,  among  them  the  First  Church  of  Zanesville 
and  the  First  Church  of  Newark,  and  stand  as  monuments  of 
his  missionary  zeal  and  energy. 

In  1805  Lancaster  was  reported  as  growing  very  rapidly, 
and  property  selling  for  more  than  its  real  value.  This  was 
partly  because  of  the  expectation  of  its  becoming  the  future 
capital  of  the  state.     And  in  1815,  Dr.  John  Cotton,  of  Mari- 

21 


etta,  says  he  found  it  a  flourishing  town  of  800  or  1,000  in- 
habitants, lai'gely  German.  At  the  close  of  Mr.  Wright's 
pastorate  the  population  was  about  2,000,  and  with  the  growth 
of  population  had  come  churches  of  other  denominations. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  about  1812, 
and  in  1816  erected  a  substantial  frame  house  of  worship — 
the  first  of  any  denomination  in  the  town.  In  1816,  both  the 
Grace  Reformed  and  St.  Peter's  Lutheran  were  organized. 
St.  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Church  was  organized  and  a 
house  of  worship  erected  in  the  year  1820.  The  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  was  organized  in  1835. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Wright  there  were  108  re- 
ceived on  profession  of  faith,  and  ninety-eight  on  certificate, 
or  a  total  of  two  hundred  and  six.  But  with  deaths  and  re- 
movals, there  remained  a  membership  of  145  when  he  left. 
All  of  these  have  passed  away. 

It  is  quite  probable  that  there  were  additions  to  the  church 
of  which  there  is  no  record.  For  example,  the  name  of  Mrs. 
Sherman  does  not  appear  upon  the  roll  of  the  church,  although 
Hon.  John  Sherman  says  in  his  Memoirs :  "My  mother  was 
a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church  at  the  time  of  her  marriage; 
but  when  she  emigrated  to  Lancaster  she  lound  there  no 
church  of  that  demoniation,  and  therefore  joined  the  Presby- 
terian church,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  John  Wright,  who 
baptized  all  her  children." 

The  Session  during  those  early  years  of  the  church's  life 
was  composed  of  Joseph  Work,  Sr.,  George  Morrison,  George 
Cofiinberry,  Thomas  Ewing,  Samuel  F.  McCracken  and  David 
Ewing.  There  are  no  records  to  indicate  who  were  the  trus- 
tees. 

PRESBYTERIAL. 

At  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Wright's  pastorate  this  church — 
and  Rush  Creek — were  in  the  Presbytery  of  Ohio,  which  em- 
braced all  the  ministers  and  churches  west  of  the  Monongahela 
River  and  on  a  line  extending  from  the  river's  mouth  to  Presque 

22 


Isle,  the  point  where  the  city  of  Erie  now  stands,  and  as  far 
west  as  the  Scioto.  But  in  1808,  at  the  request  of  the  Presby- 
tery of  Ohio,  the  Synod  of  Pittsburg,  to  which  it  belonged, 
erected  a  new  Presbytery,  consisting  of  the  counties  of  Fair- 
field, Perry,  Morgan,  Guernsey,  Muskingum  and  Licking.  It 
was  called  the  Presbytery  of  Lancaster,  and  was  to  meet  at 
Lancaster  on  the  first  Wednesday  of  April,  1809.  The  Rev. 
Stephen  Lindsley  was  appointed  to  open  Presbytery  and  pre- 
side until  a  Moderator  should  be  chosen.  The  five  ministers 
constituting  this  Presbytery  were  Stephen  Lindsley,  John 
Wright,  James  Robinson,  James  Scott,  and  Jacob  Lindsley. 

In  181-i  the  Synod  of  Ohio  was  formed,  consisting  of  the 
Presbyteries  of  Washington,  Lancaster  and  Miami.  It  covered 
all  Central  and  Southern  Ohio. 

As  Mr.  Wright's  pastorate  was  the  longest  it  was  in  many 
respects  the  most  important.  It  was  the  time  of  beginnings, 
both  in  material  and  in  spiritual  things.  He  gathered  about 
him  men  of  strong  and  abiding  influence,  upon  whom  he  im- 
pressed his  positive  and  sterling  character.  And  to  such  men 
as  he  the  Church  of  Christ  is  more  largely  indebted  than  it 
realizes. 

Perfecting  the  organization,  as  he  undoubtedl}^  did,  and  serv- 
ing it  in  connection  with  Rush  Creek  until  it  felt  able  to  give 
him  the  meager  support  which  he  received  for  his  entire  time, 
he  led  it  to  a  position  of  influence  in  the  community,  and  in  the 
Church  at  large.  He  led  the  congregation  in  the  erection  of 
two  church  buildings,  and  was  permitted  to  preach  in  the  sec- 
ond for  about  two  years. 

The  exact  date  of  his  resignation  is  not  known,  but  it  was 
either  at  the  close  of  1835  or  beginning  of  '36.  The  last  record 
of  admissions  to  the  church  and  of  Baptisms  was  October, 
1835. 

He  was  not  an  old  man,  but  early  hardships  and  hard  work 
had  told  on  his  constitution,  and  his  health  was  broken.  Mr. 
MacMillan  says  he  was  "such  an  one  as  Paul,  the  aged." 

His  farewell  sermon  was  preached  from  the  text,  Acts 
xx:26  "I  am  piire  from  the  blood  of  all  men." 

23 


It  is  a  great  thing  for  a  minister,  who  has  preached  the  Gos- 
pel and  moved  among  the  people  of  a  community  and  a 
church  for  thirty  eventful  years,  to  be  able  to  say  what  he  said. 

It  is  said  that  several  hundred  people,  parishoners  and 
others,  escorted  him  quite  a  distance  and  then  bade  him  fare- 
well. 

The  Gazette,  Lancaster,  Ohio,  Thursday,  April  26,  1836, 
says : 

"On  yesterday  our  esteemed  friend,  townsman  and  clergy- 
man, the  Rev.  John  Wright,  with  his  family,  took  their  depart- 
ure from  this  town  to  Logansport,  Ind.,  where  they  intend  fix- 
ing their  future  residence.  Mr.  Wright  has  had  in  charge  the 
flock  that  worship  in  the  Presbyterian  church  for  the  last  33 
years,  and  delivered  his  farewell  sermon  on  Monday  morning 
last  to  his  congregation,  and  a  large  concourse  of  citizens  of 
all  religious  sects,  and  others,  who  attended  to  witness  the 
painful  dissolution  of  the  tie  which  has  so  long  bound  pastor 
and  people  in  the  bonds  of  duty  and  affection.  His  church 
and  congregation  are  not  the  only  sufferers  by  the  loss  of  this 
venerable  and  good  man.  His  hand  and  heart  have  been  seen 
and  felt  in  all  enlightened  and  benevolent  objects  which  con- 
cern the  welfare  of  our  town  and  country.  Every  institution 
which  had  for  its  object  the  general  welfare  of  the  human  fam- 
ily has  found  in  Mr.  Wright  the  constant,  zealous  and  valu- 
able friend  and  patron.  Having  been  for  several  years  a  victim 
tp  disease  consequent  on  old  age,  and  a  long  arduous  discharge 
of  his  sacred  calling,  we  cherish  the  fond  hope  that  the  latitude 
of  Indiana  will  exert  a  benign  influence  on  his  impaired  health 
and  constitution.  He  is  taking  with  him  the  good  wishes  of 
every  individual  in  this  community — and  we  know  we  speak 
the  sentiment  of  all  when  we  express  the  wish  that  his  last 
days  may  be  his  best  days,  calm  and  full  of  promise." 

He  went  to  Logansport,  Ind.,  where  his  two  sons,  John  and 
Williamson,  were  in  partnership,  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law.  Both  these  sons  were  distinguished  in  their  profession. 
John  was  for  a  number  of  years  judge  in  Logansport,  and  built 
a  small  house,  close  to  his  own,  where  his  father  might  enjoy 

24 


his  library,  which  for  that  day  was  quite  extensive.  There  he 
passed  the  declining  years  of  his  life  in  peaceful,  dignified  re- 
tirement. 

He  never  accepted  another  pastorate,  though  he  organized 
the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  Logansport,  and  others  in 
that  county. 

For  fifteen  years  his  name  stood  at  the  head  of  the  roll  of 
Logansport  Presbytery.  Once  he  was  Moderator,  and  once 
he  was  honored  by  an  election  to  the  Moderatorship  of  the 
Synod  of  Indiana. 

He  died  August  31,  1854,  at  the  age  of  77  years,  while  on  a 
visit  to  his  son.  Rev.  Edward  Wright,  D.  D.,  then  pastor  of  the 
church  at  Delhi,  Ind. 

He  was  taken  to  Logansport  and  buried  in  Mt.  Hope  Ceme- 
tery, and  his  sons.  Judge  Wright  and  Williamson  Wright, 
Esq.,  erected  a  red  granite  monument,  not  only  to  mark  his 
last  resting  place,  but  also  to  commemorate  the  name  of  "Old 
Redstone  Presbytery,"  in  whose  bounds  he  was  brought  up, 
and  by  which  he  was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel  which  he 
loved  so  well. 

His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Jane  Weakley,  preceded 
him  to  the  rest  of  the  redeemed.  He  had  but  three  children, 
and  as  has  already  been  said,  "two  of  them  were  lawyers  and 
one  was  a  minister. 

Four  of  his  grandchildren  and  a  great  granddaughter  are 
welcome  guests  on  this  occasion. 

SECOND  PASTORATE— REV.  WM.  COX. 

Rev.  William  Cox  was  unanimously  elected  pastor  of  the 
church  at  a  congregational  meeting  held  in  1836,  but  the  exact 
date  is  not  given.  The  salary  promised  was  $600  per  annum., 
in  semi-annual  payments.  The  call  was  signed  by  a  committee 
consisting  of  Messrs.  David  Ewing,  William  J.  Reese  and 
Samuel  F.  McCracken.  The  Moderator  of  the  meeting  was 
Rev.  Francis  Bartlett  and  the  secretary  was  James  A.  Weakley. 

25 


On  June  15th  the  committee  received  an  answer  from  Mr. 
Cox  signifying  his  acceptance  of  the  call,  and  a  proposition 
to  begin  his  labors  on  the  15th  of  July  following.  I  have  not 
been  able  to  fix  the  date  of  the  installation,  but  in  the  minutes 
of  the  General  Assembly  of  1837  he  is  marked,  "Stated  Sup- 
ply." As  he  met  with  the  session  Sept.  8,  1836,  as  Moderator, 
it  is  likely  that  he  began  his  labors  July  15th,  1836,  but  was  not 
installed  for  at  least  a  year.  He  continued  to  serve  the  church 
for  more  than  thirteen  years. 

Mr.  Cox  was  born  in  Brownsville,  Pa.,  Dec.  17,  1799.  He 
studied  theology  at  Princeton,  N.  J.  His  first  pastorate  was 
at  Apple  Creek,  a  few  miles  from  Wooster,  Ohio.  He  was  a 
man  of  fine  social  qualities,  superior  intellectual  ability,  ac- 
complished scholarship  and  persuasive  eloquence,  always  in 
demand  for  special  public  services.  Mr.  MacMillan  says : 
"Among  his  accustomed  auditory  were  some  of  the  best  names 
in  Ohio's  early  days :  Hon.  Thomas  Ewing,  Hocking  H. 
Hunter,  Henry  Stanberry,  subsequently  attorney  general  of 
the  United  States ;  Judge  William  Irvin,  Tom  O.  Edwards, 
M.  D.,  William  J.  Reese,  P.  Van  Trump,  afterward  congress- 
man; George  Sanderson,  and  others.  An  auditory  not  sur- 
passed at  Columbus  or  in  any  other  churches  in  the  Synod." 

At  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Cox's  pastorate  the  session  was 
composed  of  Elders  Joseph  Work,  Sr.,  F.  A.  Foster,  James  A. 
Weakley,  David  Ewing,  Joseph  Work,  Jr.,  and  Samuel  F. 
McCracken.  In  addition  to  these  the  name  of  William  Gra- 
ham appears  first  in  the  record  of  a  meeting  of  session  held 
Jan.  6,  1844.  Mr.  Graham  was  the  father  of  Mr.  Amos  Graham, 
who  was  also  an  elder  for  many  years,  and  the  grandfather  of 
Mr.  G.  A.  Graham,  at  present  a  member  of  Session. 

During  the  same  year  William  Slade,  a  young  attorney,  who 
came  here  from  Vermont,  was  elected  a  ruling  elder,  and  con- 
tinued in  the  ofiEice  until  1850,  when  he  moved  to  Cleveland. 

Owing  to  the  incompleteness  of  the  records  it  is  not  possible 
to  make  a  complete  list  of  the  Trustees  who  served  during  the 
pastorate  of  Mr.  Cox;  but  among  them  were  Messrs.  F.  A. 
Foster,  S.  F.  McCracken,  William  J.  Reese,  R.  M.  Ainsworth, 

26 


T,  U.  White.  William  Ciraliani,  Thomas  Sturgeon,  Robert 
Reed,  Gustin  Wilson,  James  McCleery,  Henry  Little,  Joseph 
Work,  Jr.,  and  Thomas  Duncan. 

In  1830,  the  beginning  of  this  pastorate,  the  church  re- 
ported 14G  members,  but  the  roll  evidently  needed  pruning, 
for  in  1837  the  membership  was  reported  as  only  94. 

There  were  added  to  the  membership  17-4 — about  two-thirds 
(112)  on  profession  of  faith.  Only  two  of  these  remain,  viz.: 
Mrs.  Mary  Wilson  and  Mr.  Thomas  E.  Billinghurst.  But  the 
net  increase  was  small,  for  in  1850  the  revised  roll  only  shows 
108  members.  The  material  interests  of  the  congregation  suf- 
fered severely  from  the  disastrous  financial  crisis  which  began 
in  1837  and  continued  up  to  1843. 

The  Lancaster  Bank  of  Ohio,  which  had  a  mortgage  on  the 
church,  was  obliged  to  go  into  liquidation,  and  it  became  nec- 
essary for  the  congregation  to  promptly  meet  its  obligation, 
or  the  property  would  be  sold. 

"Robert  Reed  and  Thomas  Sturgeon  agreed  with  the  bank 
to  furnish  notes  from  various  good  names,  running  one  year 
at  six  per  cent.  Gentlemen  and  ladies  gave  their  notes  quite 
readily,  and  the  obligation  was  met.  Mr.  Cox,  too,  generously 
gave  his  note,  cither  for  the  debt  on  the  church  or  on  the 
organ ;  but  other  gentlemen  would  not  suflfer  him  to  pay  it, 
lifting  it  themselves." 

I  have  said  that  the  salary  promised  Mr.  Cox  was  $600,  and 
it  is  so  stated  in  the  record  of  the  congregational  meeting; 
but  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Gen.  Thomas  Ewing  thinks  it  was  only 
$400,  and  this  would  seem  to  be  in  harmony  with  certain  state- 
ments found  in  subsequent  reports  of  the  Trustees. 

In  a  report  dated  May  4th,  1846,  the  salary  seems  to  have 
been  increased  to  $500.  This  same  report  refers  to  the  death  of 
"many  distinguished  members  of  the  church  and  the  difficult 
ties  of  the  times." 

And  the  Trustees  recommended  that  the  congregation  raise 
a  sufficient  subscription  that  shall  be  adequate  to  the  pastor's 
salary,  and  thus  relieve  him  of  "many  trying  and  unpleasant 
embarrassments  which  have  surrounded  him." 

27 


In  1837  the  Presbyterian  church  was  rent  asunder  into  what 
was  called  the  "Old  School"  and  "New  School"  branches. 
Synods,  Presbyteries  and  Churches  were  divided.  In  many 
places  two  feeble,  struggling  churches  were  established  where 
one  had  barely  been  able  to  support  the  means  of  grace. 

In  the  Lancaster  Church  both  sides  of  the  controversy  had 
sympathizers.  But  on  the  sixth  of  October,  1838,  the  Session 
met  and  unanimously  adopted  the  following  paper: 

"Whereas,  The  Presbyterian  Church  of  the  United  States 
of  America  has  for  several  years  past  been  agitated  and  con- 
vulsed, by  conflicting  sentiments  and  opinions  among  its  min- 
istry and  people,  which  have  at  length  been  carried  to  such 
extreme  excess,  and  been  marked  by  such  unnatural  exhibi- 
tions of  feeling  as  in  fact  to  rend  asunder  the  ecclesiastical 
cords  which  heretofore  have  bound  them  together  as  brethren, 
in  one  holy  communion  of  love  and  unity,  thereby  causing  dis- 
sensions and  schisms  to  prevail  to  the  scandal  of  the  Church, 
and  the  injury  of  vital  piety  and  religion. 

"And,  whereas,  the  parties  thus  divided  have  formed  them- 
selves into  two  distinct  and  separate  bodies,  each  claiming  to 
exercise  the  functions  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  the  United  States,  and  to  wield  co-ordinate 
authority  over  the  Synods,  Presbyteries  and  Churches 
throughout  the  Union,  which  is  incompatible,  inconsistent, 
and  must,  if  insisted  on,  in  their  present  state  of  excited  feel- 
ing, eventuate  in  still  further  humiliating  exhibitions  of  alterca- 
tion and  dispute. 

"Therefore,  for  the  sake  of  maintaining  peace  and  harmony 
within  our  own  borders  and  in  order  that  the  worship  of  Al- 
mighty God  in  this  Church  may  not  be  desecrated  by  angry, 
conflicting  opinions  and  dissensions. 

"Resolved,  That  this  Church  and  congregation  do  not  and 
cannot  in  the  present  posture  of  affairs,  recognize  as  the  legal 
and  constitutional  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  either  of  the  bodies  claimng  to  be  such. 

"Resolved,  That  in  case  the  Synod  and  Presbytery  to  which 
this  church  properly  belongs  should  divide,  and  form  them- 

28 


selves  into  separate  bodies,  each  claiming  to  be  the  only  and 
legal  Synod  and  Presbytery  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  with- 
in our  present  bounds,  then  and  in  that  event,  this  church 
(while  it  adheres  to  the  doctrines  and  form  of  worship  pre- 
scribed in  the  Confession  of  Faith  of  the  Presbyterian  Church) 
will  withdraw  from  both  parties,  until  such  time  as  God  in  His 
providence  shall  vouchsafe  to  give  us  more  light,  and  enable 
us  with  more  certainty  to  determine  which  is  the  true,  and 
only  legitimate  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States. 

"Resolved,  That  this  church  entertains  sentiments  of  the 
most  profound  regret  and  sorrow  that  any  unhappy  cause 
should  exist  to  mar  the  moral  beauty  and  symmetry  of  that 
form  of  ecclesiastical  form  of  General  Government  to  which 
it  has  always  been  loyally  and  faithfully  attached,  and  that  it 
will  hail  with  Christian  joy  and  gratulation  the  coming  in  of 
the  day  when  the  whole  Presbyterian  Church  shall  again  be 
united,  one  in  sentiment,  one  in  harmony  and  action  and  pre- 
pared acceptably  to  do  its  Divine  Master's  bidding. 

"Resolved,  That  w^e  have  undiminished  confidence  in  the 
opinions,  doctrines  and  ministerial  labors  of  the  pastor  of  this 
church,  and  that  we  will  afifectionately  sustain  him,  support 
him,  adhere  to  him,  in  any  and  every  trying  position  he 
may  be  placed  by  reason  of  the  same." 

And  at  a  congregational  meeting  held  Oct.  7th,  1838,  the 
same  set  of  resolutions  was  adopted  by  the  congregation.  This 
was  undoubtedly  a  wise  course  for  the  church,  and  if  it  had 
been  generally  pursued  much  bitterness  and  distress  would 
have  been  avoided.  Air.  Cox  and  his  Session  evidently  studied 
"the  things  which  make  for  peace."  It  had  this  disadvantage, 
however,  that  the  report  of  the  church  does  not  appear  in  the 
minutes  of  either  the  Old  or  New  School  General  Assembly 
for  a  number  of  years.  But  Mr.  Cox  and  the  church  finally  de- 
cided to  identify  themselves  with  the  Old  School  body,  for  in 
1843  Mr.  Cox  appeared  before  the  Synod  of  Ohio,  and  "Stated 
the  reasons  which  had  induced  him,  since  the  division  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  not  to  act  with  either  body,  for  the  time 
being,  but  that  the  difficulties  were  now  removed,  and  that  it 


29 


was  his  desire  to  resume  his  place,  and  co-operate  cordially 
with  the  Synod." 

His  reasons  were  unanimously  sustained,  and  he  was  recog- 
nized as  a  member  of  Synod.  After  which  it  was  resolved  that 
so  much  of  the  county  of  Fairfield  as  lies  west  of  the  road 
from  Newark  to  Logan,  including  Rev.  William  Cox  and  the 
Church  of  Lancaster,  be  set  off  to  the  Presbytery  of  Co- 
lumbus." 

And  this  church  has  continued  in  the  bounds  of  the  Presby- 
tery of  Columbus  ever  since. 

Early  in  1846  Mr.  Cox  received  a  call  to  the  Central  Church 
of  Dayton,  Ohio.  But  this  church,  "in  view  of  the  duty 
which  she  owes  to  the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  to  herself 
as  a  christian  body,  to  the  happiness  of  all  under  his  charge, 
as  well  as  within  her  influence  and  also  in  reference  to  the 
valuable  and  faithful  services  of  its  pastor,"  refused  to  consent 
to  his  removal,  and  he  remained. 

The  records  of  Presbytery  show  that  on  the  12th  of  Dec, 
1849,  Mr.  Cox  secured  permission  to  labor  out  of  the  bounds 
of  Presbytery,  provided  the  Lancaster  church  would  consent  to 
the  arrangement,  which  was  done. 

And  at  the  following  meeting  of  Presbytery,  held  in  Lan- 
caster April  16,  1850,  the  pastoral  relation  was  dissolved.  Mr. 
Cox  accepted  a  call  to  the  church  of  Piqua,  Ohio,  where  he 
was  pastor  for  six  years. 

The  text  for  his  farewell  sermon  was,  "Continue  thou  in  the 
things  which  thou  hast  learned  and  been  assured  of,  knowing 
of  whom  thou  hast  learned  them." 

He  died  at  Piqua,  Ohio,  Sept.  23,  1856,  in  the  fifty-seventh 
year  of  his  age.  His  body  was  brought  to  Lancaster  for  inter- 
ment, and  in  the  old  Elmwood  cemetery,  surrounded  by  the 
graves  of  some  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  this  city  his 
sacred  ashes  await  the  resurrection  of  the  just. 

Mr.  Cox  had  two  daughters ;  one  of  them  married  Col.  J.  M. 
Council,  and  the  other  became  the  wife  of  Gen.  Thomas 
Ewing,  one  of  Lancaster's  most  distinguished  sons.  Mrs. 
Ewing  is  still  living  in  Yonkers,  New  York. 

30 


REV.  CHANCEY  P.  TAYLOR— SUPPLY. 

When  the  congregation  voted  to  permit  Mr.  Cox  to  labor 
elsewhere  it  empowered  the  Session  to  employ  Rev.  C.  P. 
Taylor,  and  he  supplied  the  church  for  about  three  months. 

THIRD  PASTOR— REV.  JOHN  AL  LOWRIE,  D.  D. 

At  a  congregational  meeting  held  Feb.  18,  1850,  it  was  voted 
to  employ  the  Rev.  John  M.  Lowrie  at  a  salary  of  $500,  and  at 
the  same  meeting  of  Presbytery  at  which  Mr.  Cox  was  re- 
leased Mr.  Lowrie  was  appointed  Stated  Supply  for  one  year, 
and  he  began  his  labors  April  1st  of  that  year.  But  at  a  con- 
gregational meeting  Oct.  7,  1850,  over  which  Rev.  J.  D.  Smith 
presided,  he  was  unanimously  elected  pastor  at  a  salary  of 
$600,  commencing  May  1,  1851. 

The  call  was  accepted  at  a  meeting  of  Presbytery  Oct.  17, 
1850,  and  he  was  installed  the  last  Thursday  of  January,  1851. 

Mr.  Lowrie  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  July  16,  1817,  and 
was  the  son  of  Hon.  Matthew  B.  Lowrie,  a  native  of  Scotland, 
who  came  to  this  country  when  a  young  man. 

He  entered  the  preparatory  department  of  Jefferson  College, 
and  continued  in  that  institution  till  the  close  of  his  second 
collegiate  year,  when  he  transferred  his  relation  to  Lafayette, 
and  was  graduated  with  distinction  in  1840. 

He  pursued  his  theological  studies  at  Princeton,  and  he  was 
licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Newton  April  27,  1842.  His 
last  charge  before  coming  to  Lancaster  was  at  Wellsville, 
Ohio. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  Lowrie  the  Session  consisted 
of  Messrs.  Joseph  Work,  Sr. — father  of  Joseph  L.  Work — 
William  Graham,  F.  A.  Foster,  Gustin  Wilson,  Robert  Reed 
and  David  Augustus. 

The  following  persons  served  as  Trustees : 

^Messrs.  Henry  Little,  John  Effinger,  Joseph  Work,  Jr.,  Thos. 
E.  Ewing,  F,  A.  Foster,  W.  B.  F.  Wood,  David  Augustus,  John 
McClelland,  Robert  Reed,  Thomas  Sturgeon,  and  Charles 
Dresbach. 

31 


At  the  beginning  of  Dr.  Lowrie's  pastorate  there  were  108 
names  on  the  revised  roll.  There  were  47  added  on  profession 
of  faith,  and  39  by  letter,  or  a  total  of  86.  Prior  to  the  begin- 
ning of  this  pastorate  the  reports  to  the  General  Assembly 
were  meager,  and  it  is  difficult  to  learn  what  the  churches  did, 
either  for  themselves  or  for  the  cause  of  Christ  at  large. 

But  from  1850  on  we  have  a  tolerably  complete  record,  so 
far  as  figures  are  concerned. 

And  during  the  six  years  of  Dr.  Lowrie's  pastorate  this 
church  contributed  to  the  benevolences  of  the  Church  at  large 
$962,  and  to  congregational  purposes  $5,545 — a  total  of  $6,507. 

At  a  congregational  meeting  Sept.  29,  1856,  at  Dr.  Lowrie's 
request,  the  church  voted  to  acquiesce  in  his  petition  to  Pres- 
bytery for  a  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation.  And  the  next 
day  Presbytery  released  him  and  dismissed  him  to  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Fort  Wayne. 

He  was  a  pastor  in  Fort  Wayne  for  eleven  years,  and  died 
there  Sept.  26,  1867. 

In  his  memoir,  which  is  published  as  the  introduction  to  Dr. 
Lowrie's  book,  "The  Prophet  Elisha,"  Dr.  Howard,  then  pas- 
tor of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  Pittsburg,  says  of 
him :  "He  was  a  man  distinguished  for  the  beauty  and  sym- 
metry of  character,  and  remarkable  alike  for  his  learning  and 
piety,  and  for  his  industry  and  success  in  the  holy  ministry. 

Dr.  Lowrie  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  natural  gifts. 
His  intellect  was  clear  and  vigorous,  his  judgment  sound,  his 
apprehension  quick  and  his  memory  retentive.  Eminent  spir- 
ituality was  characteristic  of  him."  His  dying  words  were: 
"The  battle's  fought,  the  victory's  won." 

Two  of  his  sons  are  in  the  ministry :  Rev.  Matthew  B.  Low- 
rie, D.  D.,  President  of  Omaha  Theological  Seminary,  and 
Rev.  J.  Gibson  Lowrie,  D.  D.,  Ipava,  111. 

FOURTH  PASTORATE— R.  C.  GALBRAITH,  D.  D. 

After  the  removal  of  Dr.  Lowrie,  Mr.  Robert  C.  Galbraith, 
then  a  licentiate  of  the  Chillicothe  Presbytery,  supplied  the 

32 


church  for  a  time,  and  at  a  congregational  meeting,  April  13, 
1857,  he  was  imanimously  called  to  the  pastorate  at  a  salary 
of  $G00,  payable  semi-annually — afterwards  increased  $100. 

He  was  ordained  and  installed  June  9,  1857,  and  continued 
in  the  pastorate  for  more  than  five  years. 

Dr.  Gailbraith  was  born  in  Frankfort,  Ohio,  Nov.  30,  1832, 
and  graduated  at  Miami  University,  1853.  He  studied  pri- 
vately one  year  with  the  Rev.  William  Gage,  one  year  at 
Princeton,  and  one  at  New  Albany  Theological  Seminary, 
Indiana,  and  was  licensed  April  16,  1856. 

Durins:  this  pastorate  Mr.  L.  N.  Olds  and  Dr.  John  Williams 
were  added  to  the  session,  as  constituted  during  the  previous 
one.  Those  who  served  as  Trustees  were:  G.  H.  Little, 
Thomas  Sturgeon,  Joseph  Work,  Jr.,  J.  C.  Kinkead,  John  C. 
Rainey,  Thomas  Duncan. 

The  church  was  prosperous  and  there  was  added  to  the 
membership  53  on  profession  of  faith  and  28  on  certificate, 
or  a  total  of  81. 

During  the  year  ending  April  1,  1859,  there  were  30  added 
on  profession  of  faith.  At  the  close  of  Dr.  Galbraith's  pas- 
torate the  membership  was  150. 

During  four  years  Dr.  Galbraith  was  chaplain  of  the  Boys' 
Industrial  School,  and  for  a  time  he  was  on  the  staff  of  Gen. 
Newton  Schleich.  Among  those  whom  it  was  his  pleasure  to 
welcome  to  the  membership  was  Harvey  Wilson,  only  son  of 
elder  Gustin  W^ilson,  who  entered  the  ministry  and  is  now  a 
pastor  in  Michigan. 

At  a  congregational  meeting  Sept.  20,  18G2,  he  requested  the 
congregation  to  unite  with  him  in  seeking  a  dissolution  of  the 
pastoral  relation.  The  congregation  concurred  in  the  request, 
but  the  record  says :  "The  largest  part  of  the  congregation 
did  not  vote." 

After  leaving  Lancaster  Dr.  Galbraith  served  several 
churches,  among  them  the  Third  Church  of  Chillicothe.  for 
more  than  twenty  years.  It  is  a  great  privilege  to  have  him 
present  to  participate  in  these  exercises. 

33 


REV.  A.  T.  FULLERTON,  D.  D.— STATED  SUPPLY. 

In  1861,  while  Dr.  Galbraith  was  in  the  army,  the  pulpit  was 
supplied  for  about  three  months  by  the  Rev.  A.  T.  Fullerton, 
a  brother  of  Rev.  George  H.  Fullerton,  D.  D. 

After  leaving  Lancaster  Mr.  Fullerton  was  chaplain  of  the 
Seventeenth  O.  V.  L  He  afterwards  held  several  important 
pastorates,  the  last  being  in  Washington,  D.  C. 

REV.  J.  M.  DRAKE— STATED  SUPPLY. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Drake  also  supplied  the  pulpit  for  a  time  during 
1862,  but  he  never  resided  in  Lancaster,  and  it  seems  probable 
that  it  was  only  for  a  few  Sabbaths. 

FIFTH  PASTORATE— REV.  GEO.  H.  FULLERTON,  D.D. 

Dec.  1,  1862,  the  Session  was  authorized  to  invite  Mr.  Geo. 
H.  Fullerton,  a  licentiate  of  the  Presbytery  of  Chillicothe,  to 
supply  the  pulpit  until  the  next  regular  meeting  of  Presbytery. 

And  at  a  congregational  meeting  April  4,  1863,  Mr.  Fuller- 
ton  was  unanimously  chosen  pastor  at  a  salary  of  $700.  The 
Rev.  George  L.  Kalb,  D.  D.,  then  pastor  at  Circleville,  but 
now  of  Bellefontaine,  Ohio,  was  the  Moderator  of  this  meet- 
ing, and  John  C.  Rainey,  Secretary. 

Mr.  Fullerton  was  ordained  and  installed  May  4,  1863.  He 
was  born  at  Bloomingburgh,  Fayette  county,  Ohio,  Feb.  27, 
1838.  He  was  graduated  from  Miami  University  with  the 
class  of  1858;  was  two  years  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Allegheny  and  one  at  Princeton. 

When  he  came  to  Lancaster  he  boarded  with  Mrs.  Henri- 
etta Work.  He  was  married  in  the  Presbyterian  Church 
May  12,  1863,  to  Miss  Mary  Ellen  Work. 

The  Session  consisted  of  Messrs.  Joseph  Work,  Sr.,  F.  A. 
Foster,  William  Graham,  Robert  Reed,  Gustin  Wilson,  L.  H. 
Olds  and  Dr.  John  Williams — the  same  as  during  the  pas- 
torate of  Dr.  Galbraith. 

The  Trustees  were  Messrs.  G.  H.  Little,  John  Gravett,  John 
McClelland,  Thomas  Sturgeon  and  S.  J.  Wright. 

34 


During  the  summer  of  186-i  Dr.  Fullerton  was  called  to 
Sandusky,  Ohio,  and  on  August  21,  1864,  the  congregation 
Adopted  the  following  paper,  which  shows  the  high  esteem  in 
which  he  was  held: 

"Whereas,  Our  pastor,  the  Rev.  George  H.  Fullerton,  has 
in  the  Providence  of  God,  been  called  to  another  field  of  labor, 
and  on  account  of  his  health  and  the  amount  of  labor  required 
here,  believes  it  to  be  his  duty  to  accept  the  call,  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  we  part  with  him  with  regret,  conscious  of 
his  fidelity  and  talent,  and  earnestly  commend  him  to  the  con- 
gregation at  Sandusky  as  a  brother  of  intelligence,  zeal  and 
faithfulness.  The  welcome  of  his  new  friends  cannot  exceed 
the  sorrow  of  those  he  leaves,  and  we  sincerely  trust  and  pray 
that  his  usefulness  in  his  new  field  may  have  the  blessing  of  our 
Heavenly  Father  and  that  his  life  and  health  may  be  precious 
in  His  sight  and  that  we  request  Presbytery  to  accept  his  res- 
ignation." 

During  this  pastorate  there  were  18  added  on  profession  of 
faith  and  five  on  certificate — the  total  membership  reported 
was  174. 

Dr.  Fullerton  has  filled  several  important  pastorates — the 
last  two  being  in  Springfield,  Ohio,  where  he  still  resides. 

REV.  EDWARD  P.  SWIFT— STATED  SUPPLY. 

Nov.  28,  1864,  the  congregation  unanimously  elected  Mr. 
Edward  P.  Swift  to  the  pastorate.  Mr.  Swift  seems  to  have 
been  a  licentiate,  as  Presbytery  called  the  Session's  attention 
to  the  fact  that  it  is  not  orderly  for  a  licentiate  to  moderate  a 
meeting  of  Session,  as  Mr.  Swift  had  done.  Mr.  Swift  only 
served  the  congregation  about  three  months,  and  returned  to 
them  the  call,  and  the  resignation  was  accepted  at  the  annual 
congregational  meeting,  held  May  7,  1865. 

REV.  JAS.  A.  WORDEN,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  STATED  SUPPLY 

During  the  summer  of  1865  Mr.  James  A.  Wordcn,  then  a 
student   in    Princeton     Theological     Seminary,    supplied   the 

35 


church.  He  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Columbus, 
May  8,  1865,  and  returned  to  the  Seminary  in  the  fall  to  com- 
plete his  studies  there. 

In  January  (23)  following  he  was  unanimously  elected  pas- 
tor, but  with  very  kind  expressions  of  his  regard  for  the  peo- 
ple, he  promptly  declined  the  call. 

Dr.  Worden  was  pastor  at  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  and  at  Steuben- 
ville,  Ohio,  but  his  most  important  work  and  most  distin- 
guished services  to  the  Church  at  large  has  been  in  connection 
with  our  Board  of  Publication  and  Sabbath  School  Work. 
Dr.  Worden  had  expected  to  be  present,  but  matters  of  special 
importance  called  him  to  his  ofifice  in  Philadelphia. 

The  Rev.  Eben  Muse  supplied  the  church  during  the  latter 
part  of  1865  and  the  early  part  of  1866.  In  the  printed  min- 
utes of  the  General  Assembly  for  1865  the  church  is  marked 
"Vacant,"  but  we  have  seen  that  it  had  three  ministers — two  of 
whom  it  called  to  the  pastorate. 

During  that  year  the  church  building  was  repaired  at  a  cost 
of  $1,148.73.  Messrs.  Thomas  Sturgeon  and  Gustin  Wilson 
constituted  the  committee. 

SIXTH  PASTORATE— REV.  GEO.  H.  WEBSTER. 

On  March  12,  1866,  the  congregation  voted  to  call  Rev.  Geo. 
H.  Webster,  of  Eaton,  Ohio,  at  a  salary  of  $1,000,  which  was 
afterward  increased  to  $1,200. 

He  began  his  labors  on  the  first  of  April  following.  During 
this  pastorate  (July  15,  1866)  Messrs.  Charles  Dresbach  and 
John  Gravett  were  added  to  the  Session,  and  at  a  meeting  of 
Session,  July  2,  1866,  it  was  unanimously  agreed  "to  recom- 
mend to  the  congregation  the  election  of  three  deacons,  the 
office  of  deacon  having  been  heretofore  neglected." 

Messrs.  George  H.  Little,  J.  M.  Work  and  Harvey  Wilson 
were   elected  and  ordained  to  this  office. 

At  a  congregational  meeting  Jan.  22,  1866,  it  was  decided 
to  raise  the  minister's  salary  by  renting  the  pews,  and  Messrs. 
Thomas    Sturgeon,   Thomas    Duncan,    F.    I.    Boving,    Charles 

36 


Dresbach,  Dr.  T.  O.  Edwards  and  L.  li.  (^Ids  were  appointed 
a  committee  to  assess  the  pews. 

The  sum  for  which  they  were  rented  was  $1,1G2.  During 
the  ministry  of  Mr.  Webster  a  committee  was  appointed  by 
the  Session  to  coniniunicate  with  the  officers  of  the  Grace  Re- 
formed Church  of  this  city  in  regard  to  the  propriety  and  ex- 
pediency of  an  organic  union  of  the  two  congregations.  A 
letter  was  sent  the  official  brethren  of  that  church,  and  their 
reply  is  described  as  "very  brotherly  and  christian  in  tone  and 
sentiment,"  but  declining  to  consider  the  proposition. 

While  Mr.  Webster  served  the  church  for  about  18  months, 
he  was  not  installed  until  July  2,  1867,  and  on  the  11th  of  Sept. 
or  only  a  little  more  than  two  months  later,  the  congregation, 
at  his  request,  united  with  him  in  asking  Presbytery  to  dis- 
solve the  relation. 

From  here  Mr.  W^ebster  went  to  Zanesville,  and  a  few  years 
ago,  while  pastor  of  the  South  Side  Church,  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
he  was  called  to  his  reward  on  high.  He  is  said  to  have  been 
a  man  of  unusual  ability — an  able  preacher  and  an  aggressive 
worker. 

SEVENTH    PASTORATE— REV.    HORACE    S.    SNOD- 

GRASS. 

The  next  pastor  was  the  Rev.  H.  S.  Snodgrass,  who  was 
unanimously  called  on  the  13th  day  of  Jan.,  1868,  at  a  salary 
of  $1,200.  He  was  then  a  student  in  the  Western  Theological 
Seminary  at  Allegheny,  Pa.,  and  supplied  the  church  for  one- 
half  the  time  until  after  his  graduation  the  following  April, 
when  he  entered  fully  upon  his  work. 

He  was  ordained  and  installed  June  3rd,  1868. 

He  tendered  his  resignation  on  the  21st  of  March,  1870,  but 
the  congregation  refused  to  acquiesce,  and  he  withdrew  it, 
but  on  the  17th  of  April,  1871,  he  renewed  his  request  on  the 
ground  of  ill  health,  and  he  was  released  from  the  pastorate. 
The  church  was  prosperous  under  his  ministry,  and  there  were 
29  additions  on  profession  of  faith  and  23  by  letter  during  the 

37 


three  years  he  was  in  charge.  The  membership  was  now  re- 
ported as  149. 

During  the  year  1870  the  pews  were  reversed,  the  galleries 
taken  down  and  stained  glass  windows  put  in  the  church,  all 
of  which  seems  to  have  cost  $504.18. 

After  his  release  Mr.  Snodgrass  supplied  the  church  on  two 
different  occasions — once  for  five  months. 

He  never  married  and  is  now,  after  serving  several  churches, 
living  retired  in  Monterey,  Cal. 

EIGHTH   PASTORATE— REV.   JOSEPH   REID   BOYD. 

We  come  now  to  a  pastorate  in  which  more  of  those  who 
are  present  to-day  are  interested,  personally,  than  any  preced- 
ing one.  It  was  the  longest  since  that  of  Mr.  Cox,  and  during 
its  continuance  many  of  you  united  with  this  church. 

The  fidelity  of  the  pastor — his  devotion  to  this  people,  his 
purity  of  life,  his  consistency  of  character,  his  loyalty  to  the 
truth,  his  sympathy  and  tenderness — abide  as  a  precious  and 
hallowed  memory. 

I  need  scarcely  say  I  refer  to  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Reid  Boyd,  who  was  elected  to  the  pastorate  Jan.  30,  1872,  at 
a  salary  of  $1,200. 

The  Moderator  of  the  congregational  meeting  was  Mr. 
James  McMahon,  and  the  Clerk  Mr.  J.  M.  Work. 

The  call  was  signed  by  Messrs.  Geo.  H.  Little,  J.  M.  Work 
and  John  Outcalt,  Trustees,  and  Messrs.  Robert  Reed,  G. 
Wilson  and  John  Gravett,  Elders. 

Mr.  Boyd  entered  upon  his  labors  about  the  first  of  April, 
1872,  but  was  not  installed  until  April  16,  1873.  Nov.  11,  1872, 
Messrs.  James  McMahon  and  John  Greer  were  elected  to  the 
eldership,  and  in  1876,  the  church  adopted  the  rotary  system 
of  eldership,  which  continues  to  the  present  time,  the  period 
of  service  being  three  years.  During  the  year  1873  the  con- 
gregation purchased  a  parsonage  at  a  cost  of  $3,325,  and  en- 
closed the  church  lot  with  an  iron  fence,  costing  $371.21. 

During  Mr.  Boyd's  pastorate  there  were  added  to  the  mem- 
bership of  the  church  153  on  profession  of  faith  and  84  by 

38 


letter,  or  a  total  of  237,  but  with  deaths  and  removals  there 
were  190  members  at  its  close. 

During  this  pastorate  Mr.  William  H.  Hannum  united  with 
the  chur^ch.  and  afterward  entered  the  ministry  and  is  now  a 
missionary  in  India. 

Owing  to  ill  health  Mr.  Boyd  was  unable  to  preach  from 
Aug.  10.  1879,  until  May  1,  1880,  and  a  part  of  this  time  he 
spent  in  the  South. 

March  29.  1885,  he  presented  his  resignation  on  account  of 
poor  health,  and  preached  his  farewell  sermon  the  same  day. 

The  following  paper,  prepared  by  a  committee  previously 
appointed,  was  unanimously  adopted  by  the  congregation, 
Feb.  24,  1886 : 

"Rev.  Joseph  Reid  Boyd  was  born  in  Guernsey  county, 
Ohio,  near  Concord,  July  23,  1835.  He  was  licensed  to  preach 
April  1862,  and  in  1863  he  took  charge  of  the  Presbyterian 
churches  in  Norwalk  and  East  Union.  In  1867  he  was  called 
to  the  pastorate  of  the  church  in  Wilmington,  Ohio. 

"In  1869  he  accepted  a  call  to  the  Presbyterian  church  of 
Liberty,  Ind..  and  about  April  1,  1885,  he  closed  a  successful 
pastorate  of  thirteen  years  in  Lancaster,  Ohio.  Owing  to  de- 
clining health,  he  moved  to  Lima,  Ohio,  where,  for  a  short  tmie 
he  engaged  in  other  business. 

"Not  content  at  anything  but  his  chosen  profession,  he  took 
charge  of  the  church  in  Bowling  Green,  Ohio,  in  the  fall  of 
1885,  preaching  acceptably  until  within  a  few  weeks  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  at  the  latter  place  Feb.  15,  1886,  at  8 :  30 
o'clock  in  the  evening. 

"A  good  man  has  been  called  to  his  heavenly  reward.  He 
has  fought  a  good  f^ght,  he  has  kept  the  faith  and  finished  his 
course,  henceforth  he  wears  a  crown  of  righteousness.  With 
unswerving  fidelity  he  preached  the  pure  gospel  of  the  Prince 
of  Peace. 

"Conscious  of  the  correctness  of  his  convictions  he  never 
faltered  in  the  line  of  duty.  His  highest  aim  was  the  elevation 
of  mankind  and  often  have  we  seen  his  countenance  radiant 

39 


with  ioy  when  some  one,  to  whom  he  had  preached  the  riches 
of  grace,  confessing  the  Saviour,  came  out  on  the  Lord's  side. 
The  souls  led  by  him  into  the  kingdom,  the  minds  enlightened 
by  his  preaching  the  simple  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  the  hearts 
comforted  by  his  presence  and  his  words,  who  can  number 
them?  God  knows  and  in  God's  book  the  life  work  of  our 
pastor,  brother,  friend,  is  recorded. 

"Yes,  and  we  believe  that  among  the  redeemed  there  are 
many  to  testify  to  the  grace  and  benefit  of  the  life  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Boyd,  and  many  among  the  living  who,  reading  the  experi- 
ence of  years  gone  by,  praise  the  Lord  for  this  man  of  God,  so 
completely  furnished  unto  every  good  work. 

"Brother  Boyd  loved  our  church,  and  with  anxious  and 
jealous  eye  he  ever  watched  its  development.  He  loved  his 
people,  and  deep  down  in  his  loving  heart  was  the  inexhaus- 
tible sympathy  with  them  in  every  experience  of  their  lives. 
He  was  eminently  a  "man  of  God."  We  do  not  mourn  his 
death  as  those  who  have  no  hope,  but  w^e  rejoice  as  those  who 
look  from  the  cross,  through  tears,  to  Christ  and  the  crown. 

"We  are  glad  in  the  confidence  we  possess  that  God  has 
called  him  from  trial  and  pain  into  rest  and  peace ;  that  the 
hand  of  Him  whom  he  loved  and  for  whom  he  labored  has 
led  him  home.  As  a  star  of  the  sky  passes  from  us,  but  is  not 
lost,  so  has  our  brother  passed  quietly  and  brightly  into  the 
other  world.  And  because  he  was  a  winner  of  souls  and  led 
many  to  righteousness  he  shall  shine,  'as  the  stars  forever  and 
ever.' 

"We  thank  God  for  the  life  work  of  Rev.  J.  R.  Boyd ;  for  his 
fidelity  in  the  care  of  the  church,  for  the  strength  of  his  godly 
efforts,  and  for  the  grace  of  his  Christian  life. 

"And  so  he  is  gone.  His  work  is  done.  He  leaves  us  with  no 
regrets  for  him,  but  only  for  ourselves,  who  feel  as  if  some- 
thing had  gone  out  of  our  lives.  The  best  tribute  that  we  can 
pay  him  is  to  cherish  his  memory  and  follow  his  example. 
To  his  afflicted  family  in  their  bereavement  we,  as  a  church, 
tender  our  hearty  sympathy  and  pray  that  as  they  pass  under 
the  rod,  they  may  feel  the  comforting  presence  of  Him  who, 

40 


while  always  near  his  children,  is  especially  near  to  them  in 
trouble's  dark  hour. 

"  'O  thou  who  mourncst  on  thy  way, 
With  longings  for  the  close  of  day: 
He  walks  with  thee,  that  angel  kind, 
And  gently  whispers,  'Be  resigned;' 
Bear  up,  bear  on,  the  end  shall  tell 
The  dear  Lord  ordereth  all  things  well.' 

"S.  J.  WOLFE, 

"J.  G.  REEVES, 

"J.  M.  WORK,  Com." 

PROF.  E.  B.  ANDREWS,  LL.  D.— STATED  SUPPLY. 

During  the  time  of  Mr.  Boyd's  ill  health,  especially  while  he 
was  in  the  South,  Prof.  E.  B.  Andrews,  then  a  resident  of  Lan- 
caster, supplied  the  pulpit,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  congre- 
gation. 

Prof.  Andrews  was  a  fine  scholar — especially  along  scien- 
tific lines — having  been  a  Professor  in  Marietta  College  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  while  a  resident  of  Lancaster  he  was 
connected  with  the  State  Geological  Survey.  He  was  always 
specially  helpful  to  the  pastor. 

NINTH  PASTORATE— REV.  THOMAS  S.  HUGGART. 

After  the  release  of  Mr.  Boyd  the  pulpit  was  vacant  for  one 
year,  and  there  were  thirty  different  ministers  preached — 
part  of  them  as  candidates,  and  others  of  them  not. 

The  Rev.  Thomas  S.  Huggart,  then  of  Ostrander,  Ohio, 
was  called  April  4,  1886,  at  a  salary  of  $1,000,  and  parsonage. 

Mr.  Huggart  was  installed  Oct.  26,  1886.  His  pastorate  only 
continued  for  three  years,  but  the  records  show  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  additions  to  the  membership. 

March  23,  1889,  at  his  request,  the  congregation  voted  to 
unite  with  him  in  seeking  a  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  rela- 
tion, and  passed  resolutions  bearing  testimony  to  his  high 
Christian  character  and  to  his  faithfulness  as  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel. 

41 


Mr.  Huggart  is  now  engaged  in  teaching  at  South  Salem, 
Ohio. 

TENTH  PASTORATE— REV.  WILLIAM   MacMILLAN. 

In  accordance  with  instructions  given  the  Session  at  a  con- 
gregational meeting,  June  12,  1889,  Rev.  William  MacMillan 
was  invited  to  supply  the  church  from  the  first  of  July  follow- 
ing, until  April  1,  1890,  but  on  Feb.  9,  1890,  he  was  elected  pas- 
tor at  a  salary  of  $1,200,  and  was  installed  June  5th,  of  that 
year. 

Mr.  MacMillan  was  a  man  of  fine  social  qualities,  an  eloquent 
and  popular  preacher,  and  entered  with  enthusiasm  into  the 
efifort  to  secure  a  new  house  of  worship.  The  congregation 
followed  his  gallant  leadership,  and,  of  course,  they  were  suc- 
cessful. Failing  health  moved  him  to  request  a  dissolution  of 
the  pastoral  relation,  Oct.  25,  1892,  and  he  was  released  Nov. 
1,  1892 — just  a  few  days  before  the  new  church  was  occupied 
for  the  first  time.  The  record  says  that  the  congregation  re- 
luctantly yielded  to  this  request,  and  Presbytery  released  him 
Nov.  1,  1892.  Three  days  later  his  heavenly  Father  released 
him  from  the  toil  and  pain  and  disappointments  of  earth,  and 
gave  him  a  place  amid  the  throng  of  redeemed  souls  that  are 
about  the  throne  forever  and  ever. 

When  the  pastoral  relation  was  dissolved  the  Presbytery 
adopted  the  following,  among  other  resolutions : 

"Resolved,  That  we  have  heard  with  great  sorrow  of  the 
serious  illness  of  Rev.  William  MacMillan,  a  brother  beloved, 
who  has  labored  to  great  acceptance  for  many  years  in  the 
Circleville  and  Lancaster  churches  in  the  bounds  of  this  Pres- 
byter}^, a  faithful  and  able  minister  of  the  Word,  always  look- 
ing after  his  flock  with  tender  solicitude,  and  ministering  to 
them  with  equal  felicity  in  times  of  affliction  as  well  as  of  joy, 
a  servant  of  the  Lord  treasured  among  the  memories  and  af- 
fections of  the  people,  and  who  in  his  last  charge  at  Lancaster 
will  be  gratefully  remembered  for  his  successful  pastorate  and 
especially  for  the  new  and  handsome  church  structure,  whose 
erection  he  was  so  largely  instrumental  in  securing." 

42 


PRESENT  PASTORATE— REV.  JOHN  GOURLEY. 

We  come  now  to  the  present,  and  the  most  important — to 
the  speaker.  And  so,  perhaps,  the  less  he  says  about  it  the  bet- 
ter— especially  when  you  are  all  weary,  and  thinking  about 
your  dinner,  and  wondering  if  you  will  every  get  any.  You 
will,  and  that  in  a  very  short  time.  But  as  duty  comes  before 
pleasure,  and  in  order  to  finish  the  historian's  work  it  is  nec- 
essary, however  much  you  may  wish  it  were  otherwise,  to  give 
you  a  few  facts. 

Rev.  John  Gourley  was  called  to  the  pastorate  Feb.  27,  1893, 
and  installed  May  IGth  following. 

He  was  born  near  Greensburg,  Westmoreland  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, was  graduated  from  Washington  and  Jefferson  Col- 
lege, and  from  the  Western  Theological  Seminary.  He  was 
pastor  of  the  Black  Lick,  Homer  City  and  Bethel  churches,  in 
the  Presbytery  of  Kittanning;  the  South  Lyon,  Mich.,  and  the 
Lewistown,  Pa.,  churches,  before  coming  to  Lancaster. 

The  congregation  had  just  entered  the  present  house  of 
worship,  and  had  been  supplied  for  a  time  by  the  Rev.  Thomas 
H.  Hall,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  who  was 
greatly  beloved  and  respected  by  all  classes  for  the  beauty  of 
his  Christian,  joyous  character.  The  new  pastor  entered 
upon  his  work,  feeling  that  it  was  his  privilege,  in  the  Provi- 
dence of  God,  to  lead  a  united  and  harmonious  people  in  the 
work  that  loomed  up  in  importance  and  stretched  out  in  vast 
extent  before  him. 

The  church  was  heavily  in  debt  on  account  of  building  the 
new  church.  The  mortgage  indebtedness  amounted  to  $7,200, 
with  an  incidental  indebtedness  which  aggregated  in  all  about 
$8,000.  The  financial  depression  of  1893,  and  the  years  that 
followed,  made  it  a  very  difficult  time  to  raise  money  for 
church  purposes,  or  anything  else.  The  interest  was  kept  paid, 
and  in  the  early  part  of  1895,  $2,000  was  paid  on  the  principal. 
Sept.,  1895,  the  congregation  adopted  the  "nickel  a  week" 
scheme,  and  continued  that  for  four  years,  or  until  the  indebt- 
edness was  reduced  to  about  $2,500,  and  then  one  final  effort 
was  made  at  the  close  of  1899,  and  on  the  14th  day  of  January, 

43 


1900,  the  mortgage  was  burned  and  the  church  dedicated  free 
of  debt.    This  was  a  happy  day  for  both  pastor  and  people. 

Two  years  ago  a  new  carpet  was  put  down  and  other  re- 
pairs made  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,000,  and  we  have  just  com- 
pleted frescoing,  repairing  and  improving  the  property  to  the 
extent  of  almost  $3,000. 

We  have  an  ideal  system  of  finance,  by  which  we  provide 
for  the  current  expenses,  and  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the 
church  at  large,  by  subscriptions  payable  weekly.  This  sys- 
tem was  recommended  by  the  Trustees  a  year  and  a  half  ago, 
and  adopted  by  the  congregation. 

During  the  present  pastorate  the  Young  People's  Society 
was  organized,  first  as  a  Westminster  League,  and  afterwards 
as  a  Christian  Endeavor  Society. 

The  Ladies'  Missionary  Society  has  been  an  efficient  agency 
in  developing  the  spirit  of  Christian  giving,  while  the  Ladies' 
Aid  Society,  which  did  such  noble  work  helping  build  and 
furnish  the  church  and  secure  the  organ  in  the  beginning,  and 
in  paying  ofl:  the  debt,  has  contributed  very  liberally  toward 
the  repairs  which  have  been  made  at  different  times,  having 
turned  over  to  the  repair  committee  just  recently  $500. 

When  the  present  pastorate  began  the  Session  consisted  of 
Messrs.  John  Outcalt,  James  M.  Work,  C.  T.  McCoy,  J.  M. 
Sutphen,  Albert  Shupe  and  S.  J.  Wolfe. 

Mr.  J.  M.  Work  was  translated  to  the  Church  triumphant 
Nov.  33,  1894,  and  Mr.  Shupe  removed,  with  his  family,  to 
Wooster,  Ohio,  Oct.  32,  1896. 

The  other  members  have  been  re-elected  as  their  terms  have 
expired,  and  Messrs.  W.  B,  Henry,  W.  H.  Wolfe,  John  Gravett, 
G.  A.  Graham  and  H.  A.  Cassidy  have  been  added  at  different 
times,  and  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  W.  H.  Wolfe,  who  re- 
signed, these  eight  brethren  constitute  the  Session. 

Messrs.  S.  J.  Wright,  George  Cunningham,  Rudolph  Rising, 
W.  B.  Henry,  George  Smith,  C.  S.  Hutchinson,  G.  A.  Graham, 
Ira  Bumgardner,  R.  M.  Giesey,  C.  T.  McCoy,  J.  L.  Graham, 
H.  A.  Cassidy,  Geo.  M.  Hickle,  T.  M.  Kier,  O.  A.  Wheaton, 
Adam  Schopp  and  William  A.  Meikle  have  served  as  Trustees. 

44 


There  have  been  added  to  the  church  lol  on  profession  of 
faith,  and  196  on  certificate — a  total  of  347.  The  total  number 
of  communicants  reported  to  the  General  Assembly  is  2^o. 

During  the  twelve  years  of  the  present  pastorate  the  church 
has  contributed  to  the  general  benevolences  of  the  church  at 
large  $8,189.00.  and  for  congregational  purposes,  $45,906.00, 
or  a  total  of  $54,095.00. 

As  near  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn  the  church  has  received 
during  the  hundred  years  since  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Wright's 
pastorate  751  members  on  profession  of  faith,  and  620  on  cer- 
tificate from  other  churches,  or  a  total  of  1371. 

The  present  pastorate  has  been  one  of  mutual  confidence 
between  the  pastor  and  the  officers.  The  congregation  has 
been  kind  and  considerate  for  the  pastor. 

I  cannot  close  without  a  reference  to  the  valuable  services 
of  those  who  have  furnished  the  music — both  instrumental  and 
vocal — most  of  it  without  other  compensation  than  the  com- 
mendation of  their  own  consciences,  and  the  satisfaction  of 
performing  worthily  and  well  a  very  important  part  of  relig- 
ious worship,  and  often  at  much  personal  sacrifice. 

There  has  never  been  discord  between  the  pastor  and  the 
officers  of  the  organizations  within  the  church. 

Through  all  the  years  of  this  pastorate,  as  well  as  the  one 
preceding,  Mr.  John  T.  Scott  has  been  the  faithful  and  capable 
janitor. 

I  have  never  had  a  doubt  that  I  followed  the  leadings  of 
Divine  Providence  in  coming  to  this  field,  however  short  I 
may  have  come  in  doing  all  that  was  possible  to  be  done.  After 
all  the  study  I  have  given  to  the  work  of  those  who  have  pre- 
ceded me — after  going  carefully  over  all  the  records  that  were 
available — I  think  I  appreciate  to  a  large  degree  the  work 
which  has  been  done,  especially  by  those  who  toiled  and  sac- 
rificed in  the  earlier  days  of  the  Church's  history. 

I  am  not  indifferent  to  the  fact  that  other  men  have  labored 
and  we  are  entered  into  their  labors.  The  Master  demands 
no  less  a  spirit  of  consecration  in  us  than  He  did  in  them, 
though  the  sacrifices  may  be  of  a  different  nature. 

45 


It  is  a  great  privilege  to  be  in  the  succession  of  such  worthy 
men  as  those  who  have  so  faithfully  labored  here  in  word  and 
doctrine — who  have  exemplified,  in  their  own  lives,  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  gospel  which  they  preached  to  others.  Some  of 
them  have  been  more  acceptable  than  others,  and  some  have 
been  more  successful  than  others,  but  all  of  them  have  been 
godly  men — men  who  have  been  an  honor  to  the  profession, 
and  an  abiding  influence  in  the  community  for  good — for  its 
intellectual,  its  moral  and  spiritual  uplift. 

May  God  grant  that  we  each  and  all — as  individuals,  and 
as  a  church,  may  face  the  future  with  increased  appreciation 
of  our  moral  heritage. 


46 


G.  A.  Graham 
John  Outcalt 
S.  J.  Wolfe 


SESSION 

John  Gravett 
C.  T.  McCoy 


H.  A.  Cassidy 
J.  M.  Sufphen 
W.  B.  Henry 


HISTORY  OF  THE  SESSION  OF  THE  FIRST 

PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  OF 

LANCASTER,  OHIO 

BY  S.  J.  WOLFF.. 

Owing  to  no  records  in  some  years  since  the  organization  of 
this  church  in  1805,  and  owing  to  exceedingly  scanty  records  for 
many  of  the  other  past  years,  it  is  impossible  in  many  details  to 
present  on  this  occasion  a  fully  authentic  history  of  the  session. 

The  minutes  of  June  20,  1806,  show  the  session  to  have  con- 
sisted of  Elders  George  Cofitinberry,  Geo.  Morrison  and  Joseph 
Work,  Sr.  At  this  meeting  twenty-one  persons  were  admitted 
members  on  certificate,  and  six  on  profession.  Mr.  Coffinberry 
moved  to  Richland  County,  Ohio,  1810,  and  Thomas  Ewing  was 
elected  to  take  his  place  in  the  Session  and  served  well  and  faith- 
fully to  the  time  of  his  decease,  1844. 

Mr.  Work  came  to  this  country  from  Ireland  and  was  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  this  church,  serving  until  his  death,  1839. 

In  1822  Gen.  Samuel  F.  McCracken  was  made  Elder  and  re- 
mained faithfully  in  this  service  to  the  time  of  his  withdrawing 
from  the  church,  1843.  ^^  ^^'^^  highly  respected.  His  death  oc- 
curred 1857. 

Mr.  David  Ewing  was  elected  to  the  session  in  1822  and 
served  the  church  as  Elder  until  1844,  the  time  of  his  departure 
to  rest  and  final  reward. 

In  1836,  Joseph  Work,  Jr.,  James  A.  Weakley  and  Frederick 
A.  Foster  were  elected  Elders. 

Mr.  Foster  served  in  the  session  for  many  years.  He  was 
highly  esteemed  as  a  business  man  of  strict  integrity  and  was  one 
of  the  honored  pioneers  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  de- 
parted this  life  in  1880. 

Mr.  Weakley  rendered  long  and  faithful  service  in  the  session. 

47 


He  was  a  skilled  carpenter  and  built  many  of  the  fine  old  resi- 
dences in  Lancaster. 

Mr.  Work,  Jr.,  father  of  the  late  James  M.  Work,  came  from 
Ireland  to  the  United  States,  1820.  His  business  was  shoemaking. 
He  died  1864.  He  was  firm  in  his  convictions,  highly  respected 
and  was  long  an  Elder  in  this  church. 

Mr.  William  Graham,  grandfather  of  the  present  generation 
of  Grahams  of  this  church,  was  chosen  Elder  in  1844,  but  resigned 
in  1867.  He  was  one  of  the  early  school  teachers  of  Fairfield 
County. 

Mr.  Gustin  Wilson  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  session  in 
1850  and  was  a  consistent  member  of  it  until  death  removed  him 
from  his  labors  in  1882.     History  sa3's  he  was  a  most  estimable 
man,  a  good  citizen,  a  successful  farmer  and  a  staunch  Presby- 
terian. 

In  1837,  Mr.  Robert  Reed  came  to  Lancaster,  and  in  1850  he 
was  elected  to  the  Eldership.  His  life  was  devoted  to  business 
and  his  church  until  he  was  called  to  higher  life.  He  was  one  of 
Lancaster's  popular  citizens.  No  man  in  this  city  was  more  highly 
esteemed  than  he  was. 

Mr.  David  Augustus,  son  of  John  Augustus,  one  of  the  early 
Associate  Judges  in  this  county,  was  elected  to  the  Eldership  of 
the  church  in  1850,  and  so  continued  until  he  moved  to  Illinois 
in  1854.  His  niece,  Mary  Hamilton  Wolfe,  is  a  member  of  this 
church  at  this  time. 

In  1862,  Lorenzo  H.  Olds,  brother  of  Dr.  Edson  B.  Olds, 
who  served  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  six  years,  was 
chosen  Elder.  He  continued  to  serve  the  church  till  1872,  when 
he  moved  to  Springfield,  Ohio,  where  he  quietly  spent  his  re- 
maining years. 

Dr.  John  Williams,  the  famous  scholar  and  teacher,  student 
of  law  and  medicine,  graduated  from  the  Medical  College  of  Cin- 
cinnati. He  was  master  of  Greek,  Latin,  German,  French  and 
Spanish.  Great  as  he  was  in  languages  and  literature,  he  was 
still  greater  in  mathematics.  He  was  master  of  every  branch  of 
science.  This  self-taught  man  had  reached  his  high  attainments 
at  the  age  of  29,  He  superintended  the  public  schools  of  this  city 
for  five  years.     He  was  author  of  two  excellent  works — one  on 

48 


language  and  the  other  a  dictionary.  A  native  of  Maryland,  he 
came  to  Ohio  aiul  Lancaster  in  185 1.  A4ade  Elder  in  1862  and 
served  until  he  moved  to  the  country,  in  this  County, 

Mr.  Charles  Dresback,  father  of  Mr.  Robert  Uresback,  of  this 
city,  was  made  an  Elder  in  1866.  He  was  a  prominent  merchant 
here  for  fifty  years.  He  married  a  sister  of  U.  S.  Senator  Morgan 
of  New  York,  and  moved  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  in  1878. 

In  1850  there  came  to  Lancaster  from  England,  Mr.  John 
Gravett.  He  brought  with  him  his  good  wife,  to  be  sure.  He 
was  elected  to  the  session  of  the  Lancaster  church  in  18O6  and 
served  until  he  resigned  in  1877.  He  declined  re-election  to  this 
office  several  times,  but  finally  accepted  the  ofiice  in  1897  and  has 
since  that  time  served  in  the  session. 

The  venerable  James  McMahn  became  a  member  of  the  ses- 
sion in  1872,  and  serv'ed  during  his  residence  in  our  city. 

Mr.  John  Grier  came  into  the  session  in  1872,  and  served 
until  his  death,  1875,  and  thus  ended  the  earthly  career  of  an  up- 
right man,  useful  in  the  councils  of  his  church. 

In  1876  the  Rotary  System  was  adopted.  Mr.  John  Outcalt 
and  Dr.  J.  W.  Rickey  were  the  first  to  be  elected  under  this  system 
in  this  church.  Dr.  Rickey  resigned  in  January,  1877,  but  was 
elected  again  in  1885.  In  ]\ larch,  the  same  year,  he  moved  to 
Columbus,  Ohio,  where  he  is  an  elder  in  the  Central  Presbyterian 
church. 

Mr.  John  Outcalt,  the  oldest  member  of  the  session,  has  con- 
tinued as  Elder  since  his  election  in  1876,  and  has  therefore  served 
longer  than  any  other  member  of  our  present  session,  and  is  still 
in  service. 

In  1877,  Mr.  John  Ashbaugh  accepted  a  place  among  the 
Elders  and  filled  the  office  with  conscientious  service  for  many 
years  and  has  since  passed  from  his  labors  here. 

Capt.  J.  M.  Sutphen,  James  M.  Work,  Judge  G.  \\'.  Alfred 
and  William  .Stewart  came  to  the  Eldership  in  1881,  as  new  mem- 
bers. Two  of  this  number  have  crossed  the  bar — Mr.  Stewart  and 
Mr.  Work.  Doth  were  valuable  members.  Mr.  Work  was  clerk 
of  the  Session  for  a  long  time  and  his  minutes  show  him  an  ex- 
pert. Judge  Alfred  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  session.  He 
resigned  and  moved  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  but  has  since  returned  to 
the  city. 

49 


Mr.  Amos  Graham  was  the  worthy  successor  of  Mr.  Gustin 
Wilson.  He  was  elected  Elder  in  1883  to  serve  the  unexpired 
term  of  Mr.  Wilson,  who  was  called  to  his  rest  before  his  last 
three  years  expired.  Mr.  Graham  served  in  the  Session  until 
1892,  when  he  resigned.  Faithful  to  his  trust,  in  years  full  of  ex- 
perience, he  was  gathered  home  to  the  other  fathers  of  this  church 
who  preceded  him. 

In  1884  Mr.  W.T.Reese  was  electe4  Elder  to  serve  out  the  un- 
expired term  of  Capt.  Sutphen,  who  moved  to  Chillicothe.  Mr. 
Reese  moved  to  Bowling  Green,  where  he  was  elected  to  that  Ses- 
sion. He  lives  now  in  the  State  of  Kansas  and  is  there  an  Elder 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Independence. 

Mr.  S.  J.  Wolfe  was  elected  to  the  Session  in  1885,  to  serve 
out  the  rest  of  the  term  of  Mr.  Reese,  and  continues  in  the  present 
session.  He  has  filled  the  office  of  Clerk  of  this  body  for  many 
years  and  so  continues. 

In  1887,  Mr.  David  R.  Miller  became  an  Elder  and  served 
until  1892,  when  he  resigned.  His  work  was  well  done  and  will 
live  after  him. 

Mr.  C.  T.  McCoy  was  elected  Elder  in  1892  to  serve  out  the 
term  for  which  Mr.  Graham  was  elected,  and  remains  an  Elder 
in  the  present  session. 

Mr.  Albert  Shupe  became  a  member  of  Session  in  1892  to 
serve  out  the  unexpired  term  of  Mr.  Miller,  and  remained  in  the 
Session  until  he  moved  to  Wooster,  Ohio,  where  he  serves  as 
Elder  in  the  First  Presbyterian  church. 

In  1894  Mr.  W.  B.  Henry  was  elected  to  the  Session  and 
remains  a  member  of  the  present  Session. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Wolfe  was  elected  to  the  Session  in  1894,  for 
three  years,  but  resigned  before  his  term  expired. 

In  1902  Mr.  George  A.  Graham  was  made  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Elders — the  number  in  the  Session  was  changed  from 
6  to  7 — and  is  a  member  of  the  present  Session. 

Prof.  H.  A.  Cassidy  came  from  over  the  sea.  In  1904  he  was 
chosen  Elder  and  is  in  the  present  Session.  He  is  the  efficient 
Superintendent  of  the  Public  Schools  of  this  city. 

Again  the  number  in  the  Session  was  changed  from  7  to  8. 

50 


PRESENT  iMEiMBERS  OF  THE  SESSION. 

Mr.  John  Outcalt.  Mr.  John  Gravett,  Capt.  J.  M.  Sutphen, 
Mr.  S.  J.  Wolfe,  Mr.  C.  T.  McCoy,  Mr.  W.  B.  Henry,  Mr.  G.  A. 
Graham,  Prof.  H.  A.  Cassidy, 

It  may  be  that  from  the  incompleteness  of  the  records,  some 
Elder  or  Elders  may  be  omitted  in  this  brief  history,  but,  if  so, 
there  has  been  no  intention  of  it  on  the  part  of  the  compiler. 

Standing^  where  we  do  to-nii^ht,  looking-  down  the  corridors  of 
time,  we  see  a  body  of  consecrated,  stront^  men  in  the  councils 
of  this  church,  from  its  beginning  in  Lancaster. 


51 


HISTORY    OF    THE    MUSIC    OF    THE 
CHURCH 

BY  T.  E.  BILLINGIIURST. 

Our  first  recollections  of  the  old  Presbyterian  church 
were  in  1839.  The  pulpit  was  placed  in  the  west  end,  between  the 
front  doors,  a  gallery  was  on  its  two  sides  and  east  end,  this  end 
the  choir  occupied  for  many  years.  Rev.  William  Cox  was  the 
pastor.  Robert  Duncan  (a  brother  of  the  late  Thomas  Duncan) 
was  the  leader  of  the  choir  for  a  number  of  years,  also  a  teacher 
of  vocal  music.  His  class  met  in  the  basement  of  the  church  for 
instructions.  He  gave  us  our  first  lessons  in  music.  Some  of 
his  class  were  members  of  this  choir.  We  cannot  remember  all  of 
them,  but  will  mention  the  following :  Mr.  Peregrine  Foster,  Miss 
Jennie  Foster,  Mr.  Maris  Levering,  Mr.  Louis  Levering,  Mr. 
John  Ewing,  Miss  Sarah  E^ving,  Miss  Lizzie  Wilson,  Mr.  Samuel 
Howe  and  T.  E.  Billinghurst. 

The  only  instrument  we  used  the  leader  carried  in  his  vest 
pocket,  his  tuning  fork.  With  this  he  would  sound  the  key-note 
of  the  tune  and  transmit  it  to  the  choir.  At  this  time  it  required 
two  books  for  each  singer,  a  hymn  book  and  a  tune  book. 

Mason's  Sacred  Harp  furnished  the  tunes  and  anthems  for 
many  years.  "Psalms  and  Hymns"  and  "Psalms  and  Selections" 
were  then  in  use.  Before  there  was  an  organ  in  the  church,  there 
was  a  quartet  of  instruments,  a  violin,  flute,  violoncello  and  clari- 
net. 

At  this  time  an  old  soldier  and  drummer  joined  the  church. 
Being  anxious  to  make  himself  useful  in  church  work,  said  to 
one  of  the  elders  he  would  like  to  join  the  choir.  The  elder 
asked  him  if  he  was  a  singer.  No,  he  could  not  sing.  The  elder 
replied  if  you  can't  sing  you  will  not  be  of  any  assistance  to  the 
choir.  The  soldier  said  "I  see  the  other  instruments  in  the  choir 
and  my  drum  will  be  a  good  accompaniment."     The  elder  said, 

52 


BOARD   OF  TRUSTEES 


C.  S.  Hutchinson 
W.  A.  Meikle 
0.  A.  Wheaton 


G.  M.  Hickle 
J.  L.  Graham 
Adam  Schopp 


"It  will  be  t(X)  harsh  for  the  church  and  will  not  chord  with  voices" 
Tile  soldier  said  he  could  nuirtle  his  drum  as  they  did  at  a  funeral 
when  he  was  in  the  army.  The  drum  was  not  used  in  the  church 
chili  r. 

The  tone  of  the  bell  in  the  old  church  was  in  the  key  of  G. 
V\'e  heard  the  leader  of  the  choir  say  one  Sunday  morning  the 
voluntary  was  in  this  key,  and  at  the  ringing  of  the  second  bell 
he  caught  the  key  from  the  vibration  of  the  last  stroke  of  the 
clapper  and  proceeded  to  sing. 

By  some  means  this  bell  was  cracked  and  sent  to  tiie  hell 
foundry,  recast  and  has  been  ringing  for  many  years,  and  now 
hangs  in  this  church  tower. 

We  have  not  been  able  to  find  a  record  of  when  the  first 
organ  was  placed  in  the  church  or  the  price  paid  for  it.  It  was 
built  by  Mr.  Kannkey,  of  Cincinnati.  Mr.  James  Gates  assisted 
him  ill  putting  it  up.  We  think  Mrs.  James  Gates  was  the  first 
organist. 

This  was  in  Rev.  \Vm.  Cox's  pastorate.  Mr.  Cox,  aside  from 
being  an  eloquent  preacher,  was  a  fine  singer  and  would  often  lead 
the  singing  in  the  evening  prayer  meetings.  "St.  Martin"  was  one 
of  his  favorite  tunes.  He  was  fond  of  pets,  owned  a  span  of 
fine  horses,  also  a  fine  dog.  He  was  from  one  of  the  best  dog 
families  in  the  city  and  was  a  "schvvartz  bund." 

One  Sunday  morning  the  choir  were  all  in  their  seats  and 
the  congregation  was  nearly  assembled.  The  dog  could  not  find 
his  master  at  home.  Having  been  reared  in  the  parson's  family, 
he  was  a  pious  dog,  and  must  have  remembered  that  it  was  the 
Sabbath  Day.  He  hastened  to  the  church,  up  the  long  step,  into 
the  church,  through  the  aisle  into  pulpit  and  into  the  parson's 
seat  with  is  front  paws  upon  the  desk,  looking  intently  over  the 
congregation.  He  could  not  see  his  master.  He  bowed  his  head 
in  submission  and  departed,  while  the  choir  indulged  in  subdued 
laughter. 

Rev.  I\Ir.  and  Mrs.  \\  ebster  were  good  singers  and  often 
assisted  the  choir  at  rehearsal. 

The  following  persons  were  members  of  the  choir:  Misses 
Mary  Darst,  Matilda  Peebles,  Margaret  A.  Weakley,  Juliet  Ains- 
worth,  Ellen  Weakley,  Mrs.  Mary  Kauflfman,  Mr.  Thos.  Darst, 

53 


H.  V.  Weakley,  Wm.  Kaufifman,  T.  U.  White,  John  G.  Willock, 
W.  T.  Wise,  P.  K.  Shaw,  Jud  Shaw,  Miss  Angie  Ring,  Miss  S.  J. 
Linnel,  Mary  Herring  and  Mr.  Thorn. 

The  following  persons  were  leaders  of  the  choir:  Dr.  Silas 
Hedges,  James  Hamlen,  Hiram  Ring  and  James  Gates.  Mr. 
Gates  was  a  mirthful  man  and  often  made  witty  remarks  to  amuse 
the  choir.  We  frequently  rehearsed  Sunday  afternoons  in  the 
gallery.  On  one  occasion  he  had  given  each  part  the  key-note 
and  asked  the  choir  to  sing  the  chords.  As  they  were  singing 
a  cow  near  the  window  contributed  her  voice  and  drowned  the 
whole  choir.  He  remarked,  "that  was  not  a  good  chord ;  the 
choir  will  please  sing  the  chords  again." 

Some  of  the  music  books  that  have  been  used  in  the  church 
were  The  Psalmodist,  Presbyterian  Psalmodist,  Shawn,  The 
United  States  Collection,  American  Tune  Book,  Church  and 
Home. 

During  Rev.  Mr.  Snodgrass's  pastorate  the  removal  of  the 
galleries  was  talked  of  for  some  time.  As  the  trustees  were  slow 
to  act  in  the  matter,  one  Sunday  morning  the  Reverend  preached 
a  long  sermon  on  the  subject,  which  put  some  life  into  the  offi- 
cers, and  the  galleries  were  taken  down  and  the  pulpit  from  be- 
tween the  front  doors  and  removed  to  the  rear  of  the  church. 

Mr.  Pierce  moved  the  organ  from  the  gallery  and  placed  it 
between  the  front  doors.  It  remained  there  a  few  years,  when 
for  some  reason,  which  we  cannot  remember,  it  was  placed  on  a 
platform  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  church  and  remained  there 
for  a  few  years.  When  some  of  the  congregation  objected  to 
this,  as  it  made  the  church  look  one-sided,  some  persons  said  they 
did  not  like  to  see  the  choir  in  a  corner.  It  was  again  placed  be- 
tween the  front  doors.  Mr.  Philip  Muhl  moved  and  repaired  the 
organ  at  this  time. 

It  remained  there  until  the  church  was  taken  down ;  then  it 
was  moved  to  the  attic  of  the  Nave  building  and  has  long  since 
vanished.  At  one  time  the  choir  was  without  an  organist  and  they 
requested  the  trustees  to  supply  one,  to  which  they  objected  and 
asked  them  to  sing  without  an  organ.  As  they  did  not  feel  com- 
petent to  lead  the  singing  without  the  assistance  of  an  instru- 
ment, they  refused  to  sing ;  or,  in  other  words,  went  on  a  strike, 

54 


not  for  an  increase  of  salary,  but  for  an  organist.  Some  of  the 
congregation  were  in  favor  of  doing  without  a  choir.  One  brother 
said  he  could  praise  the  Lord  the  old  way  and  sing  without  a 
machine.  Some  of  the  good  brothers  volunteered  to  lead  the 
singing.  This  they  tried  for  a  few  weeks  to  the  dissatisfaction  of 
the  congregation.  At  an  evening  meeting  one  of  the  elders  asked 
each  member  to  take  their  places  in  the  choir  and  they  would 
supply  an  organist.    With  one  accord  they  all  consented. 

We  do  not  remember  who  took  charge  of  the  organ  at  this 
time.  The  request  was  frequently  made  that  all  members  of  the 
choir  should  attend  all  rehearsals  regularly.  One  person  said  it 
was  not  necessary  for  him  to  attend  rehearsals  as  he  could  sing 
any  of  our  music  at  sight.  Others  would  say  we  have  not  time 
to  attend  rehearsals,  but  will  assist  in  singing  every  Sunday.  This 
class  of  singers  are  no  good  and  should  have  no  place  in  any 
choir.  It  was  moved  that  the  choir  be  reorganized  and  a  com- 
mittee be  appointed  to  select  from  the  choir  those  who  would 
attend  all  rehearsals  and  assist  in  improving  the  singing,  and  the 
committee  notified  all  members  of  the  choir  of  the  reorganization 
with  a  list  of  the  choir  to  be  thereafter. 

Miss  Ellen  Sturgeon  was  a  faithful  and  efficient  organist 
for  many  years.  Frank  Doty,  Ida  Schneider  and  Miss  Bassett 
played  the  organ  for  a  short  time. 

In  1870  Miss  Hattie  Billinghurst  played  the  organ,  six 
months  prior  to  G.  H.  Cless,  who  took  charge  of  the  organ  June 
22nd,  1 87 1,  and  continued  for  eleven  years,  missing  but  two  Sun- 
days. Miss  Hattie  Billinghurst  supplied  the  place.  The  fol- 
lowing were  members  of  the  choir:  Dr.  D.  N.  Kinsman,  leader; 
T.  E.  Billinghurst,  Levi  Hartzler,  Dr.  H.  Scott,  Mrs.  Chas.  Dres- 
back,  Mrs.  John  M.  Conell,  Miss  Said  Scott,  Miss  Rebecca  Rice, 
Miss  Carrie  Little,  Miss  Maggie  Sturgeon,  Mrs.  Maria  Weakley, 
Mrs.  John  Outcalt,  Miss  Rose  Sturgeon,  Miss  Jennie  Schliech, 
Mrs.  Charles  Sturgeon,  Miss  Martha  Mary  Sturgeon,  Miss  Lil- 
lian Sturgeon,  Miss  Ellen  M.  Carnes,  Miss  Kate  Shaw,  Miss 
Elien  Carli.sle,  Messrs.  Frank  T.  Robinson,  Charles  W.  Denton 
and  Charles  Edwin  Bell. 

Mr.  Thos.  Sturgeon  presented  to  the  choir  seven  copies  of 
"The  Church  and  Home,"  a  large  anthem  book.     June,  1882,  G. 

55 


H.  Cless  resigned  and  went  to  preside  over  the  M.  E.  Church 
organ.  Miss  Maggie  Robinson  succeeded  him  and  played  about 
six  months  and  resigned. 

About  this  time  Mr.  Wm.  Goetz  was  appointed  organist  and 
played  about  six  years.  During  this  time  new  members  came 
into  the  choir,  as  follows :  Miss  Lulu  Pursell,  Fred  Bowen,  Miss 
Lilian  A.  Conselyea,  Miss  Nellie  Weakley,  Miss  Ella  Pursell,  Miss 
Jennie  Burns,  Dr.  C.  W.  Outcalt,  Mr.  George  Smith,  Mr.  Court- 
land  Boyd  and  J.  D.  La  Ross. 

The  choir  purchased  six  copies  of  H.  Millard's  Anthem  Book. 
They  had  been  used  but  a  short  time  when  they  were  all  at  one 
time  spirited  away  by  some  evil  spirit.  From  August  25,  1889  to 
December.  1902,  a  record  was  kept  of  the  anthems  and  hymns 
that  were  sung,  absent  and  tardy  members  of  the  choir,  and  the 
visiting  ministers  who  occupied  the  pulpit  in  that  time.  As  this 
record  may  not  be  interesting  to  the  most  of  you,  this  chapter  wall 
be  brief. 

One  Sunday  morning  the  choir  sang  "Plunged  in  a  gulf  of 
dark  despair  we  WTetched  sinners  lay."  This  was  exemplified  by 
one  wretched  sinner,  a  member  of  the  choir,  who  was  plunged 
from  the  choir  platform  into  the  aisle,  which  convulsed  the  whole 
congregation  in  subdued  laughter.  After  taking  his  seat  a  sym- 
pathizing young  lady  who  sat  near  him  whispered  in  his  ear,  "Did 
it  hurt  you?"  His  reply  was,  "Oh,  no."  But  it  did  hurt  him 
if  the  scraping  of  the  skin  from  the  length  of  the  forearm  would 
hurt. 

The  parson  with  a  broad  smile  upon  his  countenance  briefly 
oflfered  up  his  closing  prayer,  failing  to  ask  the  Lord  to  have 
mercy  on  the  wretched  sinner  and  lift  him  from  the  gulf.  Feb. 
i6th,  1890,  Rev.  Wm.  MacMillan  was  called  to  the  pastorate. 

At  some  date  in  this  year  Miss  Lilian  A.  Conselyea  was 
elected  organist  and  has  faithfully  filled  the  office  until  the  writing 
of  this  history  and  is  still  the  present  efficient  organist. 

Rev.  John  Gourley  preached  to-day,  Feb.  19th,  1893,  and  was 
installed  pastor  May  i6th,  1893.  The  choir  sang  the  Te  Deum. 
"Father,  O  Hear  Us  While  We  Pray,"  Hymns  575,  603,  assisted 
by  Prof.  Long  and  Mr.  John  Lloffman. 

56 


About  May  ist,  1896,  an  effort  was  made  to  enlarg-e  the  choir 
and  g-ive  a  concert  on  the  28th.  The  proceeds  were  $16.25.  This 
was  applied  to  the  purchase  of  new  music.  A  female  quartet, 
composed  of  Miss  E.  Wiley,  Miss  Bess  Outcalt.  Miss  Viva  Turner 
and  Miss  May  Feig^ley,  sanp;-  January  ist,  1899. 

May  i6th,  1899,  a  male  quartet  sang-  the  first  time,  composed 
of  Louis  Dorst.  first  tenor;  David  Kessinger,  second  tenor;  John 
Pursell,  first  bass:  Dr.  W.  C.  Graham,  second  bass.  This  quar- 
tet rendered  excellent  music  until  one  member  left  the  city,  which 
caused  them  to  disband. 

May  ^^rd,  1891,  the  last  Sabbath  in  the  old  church,  Mrs.  Wm. 
Goetz,  who  often  assisted  in  our  singing,  sang  a  solo ;  also  one  on 
the  evening  of  May  6th,  "Nearer  My  God  to  Thee."  This  was 
the  last  evening  service  in  the  church.  May  loth  was  the  first 
Sunday  in  the  City  Hall.  During  the  building  of  the  new  church 
the  choir  held  rehearsals  at  the  residences  of  Mr.  Rudolph  Rising 
and  Mr.  T.  E.  Eillinghurst.  Mr.  J.  T.  Gray  presented  the  choir 
with  new  music,  which  was  much  appreciated. 

October  30th,  1892,  the  first  Sunday  in  the  new  church,  we 
attended  the  funeral  of  our  friend  and  brother,  John  T.  Grav,  at 
the  M.  E.  Church. 

Miss  Potter,  supervisor  of  music  in  the  public  schools,  served 
in  the  choir  until  she  left  the  city  for  her  home  in  Detroit. 

The  new  church  was  dedicated  January  14th,  1900,  at  10  a. 
m.  The  quartet  sang  "The  God  of  Israel."  In  the  afternoon  there 
was  music  by  the  Choral  Society,  directed  by  Mrs.  J.  M.  Wright ; 
solo,  "Hear  Us,  O  Father."  by  Miss  Kinkead,  accompanied  by 
Mr.  James  Shaw,  violin  obligate;  organ  by  Miss  Conselyea.  A 
male  quartet  sang,  composed  of  Mr.  P.  R.  Brook,  Mr.  David 
Kissinger,  Mr.  John  Pursell  and  Dr.  W.  C.  Graham. 

Miss  Kinkead  has  been  a  faithful  member  of  the  choir  for 
many  years  and  rendered  valuable  assistance  to  the  choir  and  is 
highly  appreciated  by  the  congregation.  Also  Mrs.  J.  M.  Wright, 
who  often  assisted  in  the  singing  and  presided  at  the  organ.  Miss 
Ellen  Carnes  was  a  valuable  member  of  the  choir  for  many  years 
and  was  always  highly  appreciated  for  her  sweet  voice  and  her 
great  faithfulness. 

57 


The  new  organ  was  giving  us  a  good  deal  of  trouble  by 
squeaking,  snoring,  groaning  and  thumping.  It  being  in  this 
bad  shape,  the  organist  employed  a  Mr.  Reubinvonstrubenstine, 
who  was  living  in  the  city  at  this  time  and  occasionally  repaired 
organs  (hereafter  he  will  be  known  as  the  organ  man)  to  put  it 
in  good  order.  Py  the  assistance  of  the  minister  and  organist  the 
work  was  accomplished.  The  organist  and  minister  repaired  to 
the  study  for  their  wraps  and  the  organ  man  to  his  home.  As 
they  were  about  to  leave  the  church  they  smelt  the  odor  of  some- 
thing burning,  like  unto  the  burning  of  woolen  goods.  They 
hastened  to  the  organ  and  lit  the  little  candle  that  the  organ 
man  had  used  while  in  the  organ  to  look  for  the  fire.  They 
searched  around  into  every  nook  and  corner  in  the  church,  but 
the  light  of  the  little  candle  failed  to  reveal  one  spark  of  fire. 
Having  been  assured  that  there  was  no  fire  and  the  church  would 
not  be  consumed  to  ashes  before  the  dawn,  of  another  day,  they 
departed  to  the^r  homes  to  dream  of  the  fire  they  had  looked 
for. 

When  the  organist  and  organ  man  met  again,  she  inquired 
of  him  what  had  been  burning  in  the  church  after  they  left.  He 
replied  that  as  he  was  climbing  out  of  the  organ  with  the  little 
candle  in  one  hand  the  flames  came  in  contact  with  his  beard,  but 
he  quickly  grasped  his  beard  in  the  other  hand  and  extinguished 
the  flames  and  hastened  to  his  home  to  see  how  much  beard  he 
had  left.     They  smelled  the  odor  of  his  burned  beard. 

April,  1900,  the  Presbyterian  Choral  Society  was  organized, 
as  follows:  Sopranos,  Mrs.  J.  D.  La  Ross,  Miss  EHse  Kinkead, 
Miss  Carol  Kelley,  Miss  Lillie  Merritt,  Miss  Edith  Renadum, 
Miss  Zella  Trimble,  Miss  Florence  Claypool ;  altos.  Miss  Ellen 
Carnes,  Miss  Belle  Cless  Denton,  Miss  Bess  Outcalt,  Miss  Lena 
Feigley ;  tenors,  Messrs.  Geo.  A.  Graham,  Ray  Brook,  Harry 
Snyder,  David  Kessinger ;  bassos.  Dr.  W.  C.  Graham,  Messrs. 
John  Pursell.  Kilbreth  Schaefer,  Clay  Outcalt.  The  officers 
were :  President,  Dr.  W.  C.  Graham ;  Director,  Mrs.  J.  M. 
Wright;  Organist,  Miss  Lilian  A.  Conselyea.  This  society  ren- 
dered excellent  music  for  some  time,  but  finally  disbanded. 

After  having  written  this  portion  of  the  history  of  the  choir, 
we  were  informed  that  the  allotted  time  for  the  reading  of  each 

58 


paper  was  limited  to  ten  minutes.  As  it  cannot  be  completed  in 
that  short  space  of  time,  it  will  be  continued  in  our  next  paper 
at  the  next  Centennial. 

NoTK.  —  In  January,  1898,  Prof.  Henry  M.  Kutler  spent  a 
Sabbath  in  Lancaster,  and  in  a  letter  to  The  Home  Music  Jour- 
nal of  Indianapolis  he  says  of  Mr.  Billinghurst:  "In  this  choir 
was  an  old  man,  with  beard  as  white  as  snow  ;  he  sang  the  hymns 
with  the  choir,  but  did  not  sing  on  the  anthems,  though  he  made 
himself  useful  by  turning  the  leaves  for  the  organist.  He  came 
to  the  hotel  this  morning  to  get  a  few  extra  copies  of  the  Journal, 
and  said  he  was  'just  a  helper,  a  supernumerary.'  You  can  imag- 
ine that  I  became  much  interested  in  him,  and  subsequently 
learned  that  he  was  seventy-five  years  old,  and  had  belonged  to 
the  choir  in  the  church  ever  since  he  was  eighteen.  He  has  kept 
the  choir  together,  looked  after  the  'erring  ones,'  taken  care  of 
the  books,  and  made  himself  generally  useful  during  all  these 
fifty  years !  What  a  noble  record !  When  he  dies  let  the  organ 
be  bestrewed  with  all  the  flowers  that  loving  hands  can  gather. 
Let  the  choir  sing  their  best  Easter  music  and  then  reverently 
ioin  the  family  of  chief  mourners." 


59 


HISTORY  OF   THE  SABBATH   SCHOOL 

BY  JOHN  L.  GRAHAM,  SUPERINTENDENT. 

For  more  tl.'an  a  century,  "The  Sabbath  bell,  that  over  wood, 
and  wild,  and  mountain  dell,  wanders  so  far,  chasing  all  thoughts 
unholy,  with  sounds  most  musical,  most  melancholy,"  has  called 
this  people  from  their  usual  vocations  to  a  service  of  praise  and 
worship.  The  Sunday  School  is  not  a  modem  institution,  as 
many  suppose,  except  in  form.  In  the  first  century  such  schools 
were  everywhere  erected.  Luther,  Knox  and  Wesley  instituted 
Sunday  schools  in  Germany,  Scotland  and  England.  The  mod- 
ern Sunday  school,  as  we  now  have  it,  in  its  more  perfected  form, 
was  founded  by  Robert  Raikes  in  1780. 

The  centennial  which  we  this  morning  celebrate  is  strictly 
speaking  of  the  church  and  not  of  the  Sabbath  School.  The  retro- 
spective glance  which  we  now  take  has  been  secured  under  the 
most  unfavorable  circumstances,  for  neither  Pastor,  Clerk  of  Ses- 
sion, Clerk  of  Congregation  or  myself  have  been  able  to  find  any 
of  the  earliest  records,  nor  have  we  been  able  to  find  complete 
ones  of  more  recent  date. 

I  wish  I  might  be  able  to  tell  you  the  time  and  the  place 
of  the  organization  of  this  school.  In  1826  the  following  reso- 
lutions were  adopted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  the  United  States  of  America  : 

"Resok'ed,  That  the  General  Assembly  do  cordially  approve 
of  the  design  and  operation  of  the  American  Sabbath  vSchool  Un- 
ion, and  they  do  earnestly  recommend  to  all  ministers  and  their 
churches  to  employ  their  vigorous  and  continued  exertions  in  the 
establishment  and  support  of  Sabbath  Schools." 

In  1830  the  G'^neral  Assembly  adopted  the  following:  "Re- 
solved, That  the  system  of  Sabbath  School  instruction  now  in 
prevalent  operation,  be  and  hereby  is  most  earnestly  recommended 
to  the  attention  of  the  Pastors  and  Sessions  of  all  our  churches ; 

60 


J.  L.  Graham,  Supt. 


J.  D.  LaRoss,  Secy.  C.  L.  Dickey.  Treas. 

OFFICERS  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


that  Presbyteries  be  aiul  hereby  are  enjoined  to  make  tlie  pro- 
gress of  the  Sunday  School  cause  within  their  lx)unds  the  subject 
of  special  inquiry,  and  annually  to  transmit  the  result  of  such 
inquiry  to  the  General  Assembly.  And  furthermore,  That  it  be 
and  is  hereby  recommended  to  Pastors  and  Sessions  of  our  schools 
to  make  themselves  acquainted  with  the  system  of  infant  school 
instruction,  and  if  practicable  to  establish  such  schools  in  their 
congregations." 

It  was  perhaps  about  this  time  that  our  school  was  organized. 
It  was  in  1830  that  Rev.  William  Cox,  who  afterwards  became 
Pastor  of  this  congregation,  was  sent  out  by  the  American  Sab- 
bath School  Union.  His  field  of  work  included  Ohio,  and  we 
think  it  very  lilely  that  he  was  instrumental  in  founding  this 
school  in  tliis  year.  On  July  4th,  1833,  the  teachers  and  scholars 
of  the  Sabbath  Schools  of  Lancaster  celebrated  Independence 
Day,  and  the  anniversary  of  the  establishment  of  the  school.  Air. 
Billinghurst  tells  me  that  he  attended  Sabbath  School  here  as 
early  a?  1S36,  and  that  Mr.  William  Slade  was  superintendent. 
Wiseman,  in  his  History  of  Lancaster,  tells  us  that  William  Slade 
was  a  young  attorney  and  was  very  much  interested  in  church 
and  Sunday  School  work.  He  afterwards  became  a  banker,  and 
later,  during  President  Cleveland's  term,  was  appointed  by  him 
to  a  government  position.  Mr.  Slade  is  the  first  superintendent 
of  which  we  have  found  any  record. 

The  first  the  Sabbath  School  is  spoken  of  in  the  church  rec- 
ords is  under  date  of  February  17th,  1840,  at  which  time  the  con- 
gregation obtained  permission  of  the  Trustees  to  use  the  main 
room  of  the  church  for  Sabbath  School  purposes.  This  action  was 
rescinded,  however,  Februan.-  27th,  only  ten  days  later,  and  the 
Trustees  were  requested  to  enlarge  the  basement  to  accommodate 
the  school.  This  resolution  gives  us  the  impression  that  the 
school  had  outgrown  its  quarters.  Quoting  again  from  Wiseman, 
he  says:  ''On  July  P'ourth,  1841,  there  was  a  union  celebration 
of  four  schools.  The  children  assembled  at  the  churches  to  the 
number  of  four  hundred  and  marched  to  Cox's  grove.  Revs. 
Messrs.  Cox,  Raker  and  Wagenhals  were  the  ministers  present. 
The  principal  address  of  the  day  was  delivered  by  our  Mr.  Slade." 

From  1 84 1  to  1856  we  find  no  record,  but  Mr.  Joseph  Work, 

61 


Jr.,  and  Mr.  Charles  Dresbach  must  have  been  in  charge  of  the 
school  during  this  time.  About  1856  Mr.  John  Gravett  was 
elected  to  the  snperintendency.  I  should  have  said,  that  during 
the  snperintendency  of  Mr.  Charles  Dresbach,  just  previous  to 
that  of  Mr.  Gravett,  the  first  musical  instrument  was  purchased 
for  the  school.  It  was  a  melodeon  and  cost  twelve  dollars.  Miss 
Ellen  Sturgeon  had  charge  of  the  music  at  this  time  and  became 
the  first  organist  or  rather  melodeonist  of  the  school.  Miss  Stur- 
geon afterwards  became  Mrs.  Doty.  It  was  during  the  snperin- 
tendency of  Mr.  Gravett  that  the  first  record  book  was  kept,  Mr. 
Een  Reinmund,  Superintendent  of  the  English  Lutheran  Sab- 
bath School,  compiled  a  book  for  his  school  which  so  pleased  Mr. 
Gravett  that  he  secured  one  for  the  Presbyterian  School.  This 
book  we  have  not  been  able  to  find.  This  was  during  the  pas- 
torate of  Rev.  John  M,  Lowrie  and  two  of  Mr  Lowrie's  sons  were 
in  Mr.  Gravett's  class.  These  sons  afterwards  became  ministers, 
being  among  the  few  who  have  gone  out  from  this  school.  An- 
other is  Rev.  Harvey  Wilson,  son  of  Gustin  Wilson,  who  was  for 
a  number  of  years  a  member  of  the  Session  of  this  church.  Two 
others  known  to  almost  all  of  us  are  Rev.  Judson  Lamb,  son-in- 
law  of  our  Mr.  Gravett,  and  Rev.  William  Hannum,  who  is  a 
missionary  to  India. 

November  5th,  1866,  the  Pastor  (  Rev.  G.  H.  Webster)  and 
the  Session  assumed  charge  of  the  school.  December  3rd,  1866, 
Mr.  Gravett  was  again  elected  Superintendent  and  Mr.  Dresbach 
Assistant  Superintendent.  December  12th,  Mr.  Gravett  resigned 
and  Mr.  E.  W.  Schwefel,  a  young  man  preparing  for  the  min- 
istry, v;as  elected  Superintendent.  This  was  done  as  it  was 
thought  that  it  would  assist  him  in  his  work.  The  school  at  this 
time  reported  a  membership  of  one  hundred. 

September  15th,  1867,  Mr.  Schwefel  resigned  and  was  per- 
haps succeeded  by  Mr.  L.  H.  Olds.  Mr.  Schwefel  became  a  min- 
ister, having  his  first  charge  in  Wayne  County.  From  there  he 
went  to  Athens,  Ohio,  where  he  died  from  the  effect  of  an  acci- 
dent. From  1867  to  1871  we  find  no  record,  but  January  ist, 
1871.  we  find  our  Mr.  C.  T.  McCoy  elected  Superintendent.  The 
school  at  this  time  reported  a  membership  of  150,  with  collections 
from  $2.50  to  $3.00  per  Sunday.     The  following  persons  have 

62 


since  served  this  school  in  the  responsible  position  of  Superin- 
tendent :  Messrs.  Bassett,  J.  W.  Rickey,  Chas.  W.  Denton,  W.  T. 
Reese,  G.  W.  Alford,  J.  M.  Roberts,  J.  M.  Kin^,  VV.  W.  Boyd, 
W.  B.  Henry,  G.  A.  Graham  and  J.  L.  Graham.  There  may  have 
been  others. 

On  March  29th,  1885,  a  farewell  service  was  held  as  Rev.  J. 
R.  Boyd,  Messrs.  W.  T.  Reese  and  J.  W.  Rickey,  influential  mem- 
bers of  the  school,  left  for  new  homes.  Their  going  was  a  very 
great  loss  to  the  school.  On  February  28th,  1886,  a  memorial 
service  was  held  for  Rev.  J.  R.  Boyd,  v^ho  had  recently  died.  The 
room  was  dr-iped  in  mourning  and  addresses  were  made  by  mem- 
bers of  the  school  and  congregation.  In  lengfth  of  official  service 
the  honor  belongs  to  Miss  Conselyea,  who  was  either  organist  or 
assistant  organist  for  twenty  years.  Mr.  George  H.  Qess,  now 
one  of  the  foremost  business  men  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  was  organ- 
ist of  this  school  for  a  number  of  years.  Others  besides  those 
we  have  mentioned  who  had  charge  of  the  music  are  Dr.  Kinsman, 
Mr.  Bassett,  Prof.  Scarrett,  and  perhaps  others. 

Our  present  Secretary,  Mr.  J.  D.  LaRoss,  has  occupied  the 
position  since  18S9,  which  makes  him  second  only  to  Miss  Con- 
selyea in  official  service.  He  was  preceded  by  Mr.  James  M. 
Work,  who  faithfully  performed  his  duty  for  eight  years.  The 
Primary  department  has  been  in  charge  of  Miss  Sue  Weakley, 
Miss  Flora  Williard,  Miss  Birdie  Beery,  and  Miss  Margaret 
W^eakley.  In  length  of  teaching  service  the  place  must  be  given 
to  Mrs.  .S.  J.  Wolfe.  The  names  of  the  other  consecrated,  de- 
voted teachers  are  too  numerous  to  mention,  but  when  He  comes 
to  make  up  His  jewels  they  will  shine  forever  and  forever. 

Our  school  has  reported  a  membership  of  from  80  to  260  as 
reported  in  1904,  and  the  collections  have  always  been  in  pro- 
portion to  the  membership. 

The  present  officers  and  teachers  are  as  follows :  John  L. 
Graham,  Superintendent;  O.  A.  Wheaton.  Associate  Superintend- 
ent; Miss  ^largaret  Weakley,  Supt.  Primary  Department;  Miss 
Frances  Graham,  Assistant  Supt.  Primary  Department ;  J.  D. 
LaRoss,  Secretary;  Miss  Florence  Spalsbury,  Assistant  Secre- 
tary ;  C.  L.  Dicky,  Treasurer ;  Harry  Bumgardner,  Librarian ; 
Miss  Edith  Benadum,  Pianist;  Mrs.  W.  A.  Meikle,  Assistant 
Pianist. 

63 


Teachers — Messrs,  C.  T.  McCoy,  W.  B.  Henry,  G.  A.  Gra- 
ham, E.  L  Henrv,  Mrs.  S.  J.  Wolfe,  Miss  Lilian  A  Con- 
selyea.  Miss  Ellen  Carnes,  Miss  Adah  Meikle,  Miss  Madge  Mc- 
Coy, Miss  Emma  vSolt,  Miss  Iva  Wells,  Miss  Nona  Warner,  Miss 
Fannie  Musser,  Miss  Bess  Outcalt,  and  Miss  Olive  Johnston. 

"Time  rolls  his  ceaseless  course,  the  race  of  yore. 

Who  danced  our  infancy  upon  their  knee. 

And  told  our  marveling'  boyhood  legends  store, 

Of  their  strange  ventures  happened  by  land  or  seas. 

How  they  are  blotted  from  the  things  that  be. 

How  few  all  weak  and  withered,  of  their  force. 

Wait  on  the  verge  of  dark  eternity. 

Like  stranded  wrecks,  the  tide  returning  hoarse, 

To  sweep  them  from  our  sight." 

"Time  is  hastening  on,   and  we 
What  our  fathers  are  soon  will  be — 
Shadow  shapes  of  memory  : 
Joined  to  the  vast  multitude, 
Where  the  great  are  but  the  good." 


64 


HISTORY   OF   LADIES'   MISSIONARY 
SOCIETY 

BY  MRS.   J.   D.   La  ROSS. 

The  Ladies'  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  organized  in 
this  church  about  thirty  years  ago.  The  books  giving  exact  dates 
cannot  be  found,  but  it  was  one  of  the  first  missionary  societies 
in  this  Presbytery.  The  first  officers  were:  Mrs.  S.  J.  Wright, 
President ;  Mrs.  Thomas  Ewing,  Secretary  ;  Miss  Mary  Hamil- 
ton, Treasurer.  A  few  years  afterward  Miss  Hamilton  with  sev- 
eral other  ladies  of  the  church  organized  a  Home  Missionary  So- 
ciety, which  later  on  united  with  the  Foreign  in  forming  the 
present  organization,  the  Ladies'  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary 
Society. 

The  officers  of  the  present  year,  1905,  are :  Mrs.  S.  J.  Wolfe 
(fonnerly  Miss  Hamilton),  President:  Mrs.  C.  T.  McCoy,  Vice- 
President  :  Miss  Caroline  T.  Baker,  Secretary ;  Mrs.  J.  D.  La 
Ross,  Assistant  Secretary ;  Miss  Ellen  Carnes,  Treasurer ;  Mrs. 
Maria  Weakley,  Sec'y  of  Literature.  The  meetings  are  held  the 
last  Thursday  in  each  month  at  the  homes  of  the  members  of 
the  society  or  of  any  lady  in  the  congregation  who  kindly  offers 
her  house  for  that  purpose.  They  were  formerly  held  in  the 
lecture  room,  but  better  attendance  and  more  interesting  meet- 
ings have  been  the  result  since  the  change  was  made. 

There  are  forty-eight  members  in  the  Society  at  the  present 
time.  It  has  been  the  custom  for  several  years  to  have  a  Mis- 
sionary Tea  once  or  twice  a  year  for  the  purpose  of  interesting 
the  congregation  in  the  Society,  promoting  sociability  and  adding 
something  to  the  treasury  —  the  only  time  outside  aid  is  sought. 

In  December  of  every  year  for  some  time  past,  barrels  of 
clothing  and  toys  valued  at  from  $150.00  to  $200.00  have  been 
packed  and  sent  by  the  Society  to  Mrs  Rice,  in  Virginia,  for  dis- 
tribution among  the  colored  people  and  needy  whites.     The  So- 

65 


ciety  has  always  been  in  a  flourishing  condition,  giving  liberally. 
Contributions  are  sent  as  follows :  Home  Missions,  Freedmen, 
and  Foreign  Missions — To  our  Presbyterial  Missionaries,  Mrs. 
Hannum  in  India ;  Mrs.  Pond  in  South  America ;  Lahore  Mis- 
sion. During  the  past  fourteen  years  the  Society  has  contributed 
to  Home  Missions  and  Freedmen  nearly  $350.00,  and  to  Foreign 
Missions  $650.00,  making  a  total  of  about  $1,000. 


66 


THE   LADIES'   AID   SOCIETY 

As  far  back  as  May  4,  i84().  llicrc  is  mcnlion  of  a  "I'emale 
Beneficent  Society,"  but  tlic  records  have  not  been  preserved,  and 
there  is  no  way  of  securing  definite  information,  except  that  the 
meetings  of  that  Society  were  kept  up  for  a  long  time.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1885,  "The  Ladies'  Building  and  Aid  Society"  was  organ- 
ized, with  Mrs.  John  G.  Reeves,  President,  and  xMrs.  S.  J.  Wright, 
\'ice- President.  Mrs.  Reeves  served  eight  years.  The  following 
are  the  names  of  the  diflierent  ofificers : 

Presidents — Mrs.  S.  J.  Wright,  Mrs.  Rudolph  Rising,  Miss 
Margaret  Weakley,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Goss,  Mrs.  Joseph  Pursell,  Mrs. 
William  Medill,  Mrs.  C.  T.  McCoy,  and  Mrs.  J.  M.  Robers. 

Treasurers  —  Mrs.  William  Meikle.  Miss  Clara  Andrews. 
Miss  Ellen  M.  Carnes. 

Secretaries — Miss  Lilian  A.  Conselyea,  Miss  Mary  Schleich 
and  Miss  MaVgaret  Weakley. 

In  October,  1897,  the  Society  was  reorganized  and  was 
known  as  the  "The  Ladies'  Aid  Society  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  Lancaster,  Ohio."  A  new  constitution  and  by-laws  were 
adopted,  and  a  number  of  copies  printed. 

The  object  of  this  Society  is  to  promote  the  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  the  congregation,  such  as  the  care  and  improvement  of 
church  property  ;  visitation  of  the  sick  ;  visitation  and  welcome 
of  new  members ;  and  the  cultivation  of  sociability  and  Christian 
fellowship  among  its  members. 

All  ladies  who  are  members  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
are  considered  members  of  this  association,  exempt  from  dues. 
The  meetings  are  held  quarterly  —  the  first  week  in  the  months 
of  May.  August,  November  and  February. 

Since  18S8  the  Society  has  contributed  to  the  building  of  the 
church  and  repairs  over  $3,500. 

Mrs.  Thomas  Sturgeon  left  a  bequest  of  two  hundred  dollars 
to  this  Society. 

67 


REMINISCENCES  OF   REV.  JOHN  WRIGHT 

BY  REV.  JOHN  ELIOT  WRIGHT,  D.  D, 

I  am  more  glad  than  I  can  tell  you  that  I  find  myself  a  visitor 
in  this  city  of  Lancaster.  It  is  a  pleasure  that  I  have  promised 
myself  at  some  time  or  other  through  my  whole  life,  and  you  will 
see  when  you  look  at  my  white  head  that  I  could  not  defer  it  much 
longer. 

The  memories  of  my  earliest  childhood,  as  I  try  to  recall 
them,  seem  a  confused  intermingling  of  my  own  experience  — 
with  the  oft-repeated  stories  of  my  father's  experience  in  this  self- 
same city  of  Lancaster.  Lie  played  in  the  streets  of  this  town  and 
studied  in  its  schools,  and  had  just  completed  his  college  course 
at  Miami  University  when  his  father  resigned  his  pastorate  here, 
and  removed  from  the  city. 

I  need  scarcely  tell  you  how  my  pleasure  is  enhanced  by  rea- 
son of  the  occasion  which  brings  me  to  the  city.  My  grandfather 
gave  the  best  years  of  his  life  to  this  church,  and  it  is  eminently 
fitting  that  the  fact  should  be  commemorated.  He  organized  the 
church  before  he  was  thirty,  and  he  continued  its  pastor  until  he 
was  sixty.  It  was  the  only  charge  of  his  ministry,  and  the  dis- 
tress alike  of  pastor  and  people,  when  failing  health  compelled 
him  to  resign,  is  one  of  the  stories  that  I  can  remember.  A  great 
concourse  of  friends  accompanied  this  minister  for  many  miles 
as  he  left  the  city,  and  then  turned  away,  "sorrowing  most  of  all 
that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more."  My  grandfather  lived  to 
be  seventy-seven  and  did  more  or  less  work  to  the  close  of  his 
life,  but  he  was  never  physically  able,  after  leaving  Lancaster,  to 
accept  a  pastoral  charge.  He  made  his  home  with  my  uncle,  his 
eldest  son,  John  W.  Wright,  of  Logansport,  Indiana.  But  he 
died  while  on  a  visit  to  my  father's  house,  at  Delphi,  Indiana,  in 
1854,  my  grandmother  having  died  some  three  months  earlier. 
They  had  spent  a  long  life  in  companionship  and  service,  and  the 
one  could  not  linger  when  the  other  was  gone. 


Rev.  John  Wright 


I  fiiul  that  iny  own  impressions  of  my  grandfather  arc  alto- 
gfether  too  vap^ue  to  be  of  much  value.  I  was  but  a  boy  of  ten  at 
the  time  of  his  death.  As  I  recall  him  now,  I  see  a  tall,  stately, 
dignified  old  man,  with  a  winning  face  and  a  kindly  smile,  and  I 
remember  how  profound  was  the  sorrow  his  grandchildren  felt  at 
the  time  of  his  death.  \\'ith  all  his  stateliness  we  were  never 
afraid  of  him.  My  grandparents  sleep  in  the  beautiful  cemetery 
at  Logansport,  Indiana,  and  their  grave  is  marked  by  a  sandstone 
monument  erected  by  my  uncle. 

It  is  not  my  province  to  tell  of  my  grandfather's  parentage, 
training,  ministerial  service.  That  will  doubtless  be  covered,  in 
part  at  least,  by  the  historical  address.  There  is  one  experience, 
however,  of  his  earlier  life  which  ought  to  be  related.  It  is  not 
merely  interesting  in  itself,  but  it  shows  something  of  the  daring 
and  nerve  of  the  man,  his  heroic  qualities. 

When  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Western  Pennsylvania  from 
Dickinson  College,  Carlisle,  at  that  time  a  Presbyterian  institution, 
wilh  the  well-known  Dr.  Nisbet  as  President,  he  w^as  ver>^  much 
broken  in  health.  It  was  determined,  therefore,  in  a  family  coun- 
cil that  he  should  take  a  flat-boat  cargo  of  wheat  to  the  market 
in  New  Orleans.  It  was  a  perilous  undertaking  in  those  pioneer 
days,  but  hardship  and  peril  were  the  normal  conditions,  and  men 
cheerfully  accepted  them.  And  so  he  made  this  journey  of  many 
weeks,  in  the  responsible  position  of  manager  and  guardian  both 
of  men  and  of  property.  We  do  not  know  what  befell  him  by  the 
way,  but  we  do  know  that  a  great  disappointment  awaited  him  in 
New  Orleans.  For  some  reason  he  could  not  dispose  of  his  cargo 
of  wheat.  He  would  not  return,  however,  with  a  story  of  failure, 
so  he  sent  bark  his  men  to  report  of  his  doings,  trans-shipped  his 
cargo,  and  sailed  for  Liverpool.  He  was  more  fortunate  there 
than  he  had  been  at  New  Orleans. 

W'e  can  imagine  possibly  the  satisfaction  that  he  would  have, 
and  how  with  the  strain  ended  and  money  in  his  pocket  he  would 
turn  his  face  to  the  world's  great  metropolis,  London.  At  that 
time  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Newton,  minister  of  the  established 
church  and  well  known  hymn  writer,  although  in  advanced  years, 
was  still  active  in  his  work.  He  held  weekly  receptions  at  his 
house,  I  think,  which  were  open  to  all  who  desired  to  see  him,  and 

69 


my  grandfather  availed  himself  of  this  opportunity.  Dr.  Newton 
was  so  much  interested  in  this  young  divinity  student  from  over 
the  seas,  that  he  kindly  invited  him  to  preach  in  his  pulpit  the 
next  Sabbath  evening.  When  the  announcement  was  made  in  the 
morning,  the  impression  went  abroad  that  an  American  Indian 
would  occupy  the  pulpit,  and  it  gathered  such  an  immense  num- 
ber of  people  about  the  doors  of  that  church  that  Dr.  Newton 
and  his  guest  were  forced  to  enter  the  church  through  a  window 
in  the  rear.  I  suspect  that  my  grandfather  was  less  appalled  by 
the  Indians  whom  he  faced  on  the  river  than  by  that  curious 
crowd  of  London  people.  The  old  church  where  he  preached  that 
sermon  is  still  standing,  not  far  from  the  Bank  of  London  and 
the  London  Bridge,  and  I  had  the  pleasure  a  few  years  since  of 
paying  a  visit  to  it. 

When  my  grandfather  returned  to  America  he  came  by  the 
way  of  New  York,  and  what  was  more  natural  than  a  visit  to 
Carlisle  on  his  way  to  his  home.  There  was  a  certain  young 
lady  there  that  he  thought  might  be  interested  in  his  varied  ex- 
periences. Although  a  very  brave  man  undoubtedly,  he  had  not 
had  the  courage  as  yet  to  ask  her  a  question  he  wished  to  ask,  and 
which  she  alone  could  answer.  As  he  approached  the  house 
where  this  lady  lived,  he  had  a  great  shock.  There  were  signs  of 
festivities  there  which  could  mean  but  one  thing  —  a  marriage. 
He  feared  the  worst,  as  a  matter  of  course,  but  he  was  happily 
disappointed.  It  was  not  my  grandmother  that  was  being  mar- 
ried, but  a  sister  of  my  grandmother,  and  w^e  can  all  imagine 
what  took  place  when  the  situation  resolved  itself,  and  the  ques- 
tion was  asked.  At  all  events  we  know  this,  that  a  little  while 
later  these  same  young  people  were  walking  these  streets  to- 
gether. 


70 


LETTER   OF   MRS.    IRVIN    B.  WRIGHT 

The  pastor  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  Capt.  Irvin  B.  Wright, 
son  of  Judge  John  W.  Wright,  and  grandson  of  Rev.  John 
Wright,  for  vakiable  historical  papers  furnished,  and  it  was  sin- 
cerely hoped  that  Captain  Wright  would  be  present  and  make  an 
address,  but  he  very  suddenly  died  a  short  time  ago.  This  was 
a  great  disappointment,  and  cast  a  shadow  of  grief  over  the 
exercises.  But  the  following  interesting  letter  was  read  from 
Airs.  Wright: 

I  fear  Irvin's  pencil  was  halted  just  before  he  made  the 
sweet,  simple  picture  so  vivid  to  him,  of  the  dear  old  Parson's 
personality.  It  towered  saint-like  over  the  wildness  of  the  new 
home,  where  Indian  faces  flattened  against  the  window  pane 
when  the  family  knelt  in  evening  prayer  and  the  baying  of  the 
wolf  mingled  with  the  hymn. 

His  influence  held  over  the  busy,  ambitious  lives  of  his  sons 
—  over  the  noisy,  darling  grandchildren,  all  stilled  when  he  spoke 
his  kindly,  deliberate  words.  As  the  flock  of  grandchildren  grew 
larger,  his  son,  John  W.,  built  for  him  and  his  good  old  wife, 
Jane  Weakley  W^right,  a  little  cottage  aside  of  the  new  stone 
family  house,  and  the  old  people  gathered  in  their  grave,  dark- 
eyed  grandson,  Irvin,  to  be  their  special  helper,  A  gravel  walk 
connected  with  the  home. 

Grandmother  Wright  bordered  one  side  with  "old  man," 
sage,  mint,  boneset,  tansey,  catnip  and  all  the  pungent  herbs, 
which  dried,  found  their  way  to  young  housewives,  with  recipes 
and  prescriptions.  On  the  other  side  were  her  favorite  little 
flowers,  petunias,  larkspur,  clover  pinks,  ladyslippers,  marigold 
and  a  dozen  more.  They  too,  in  little  nosegays,  went  on  missions 
to  sick  rooms.  The  pungent  perfume  comes  back  to  mc,  for  it 
was  my  playmate's  task  to  weed  those  borders. 

And  so,  with  peace  the  world  cannot  give,  and  in  peace  and 
good-will  to  all,  the  sun-setting  of  their  lives  went  on. 

71 


I  never  saw  them  together  but  once.  It  was  during  a  visit 
to  Logansport  and  on  Sunday.  He  was  tall  and  thin,  with  the 
high  silk  hat  over  his  silver  hair,  and  wearing  a  long  surtout. 
She  was  short  and  plump,  by  no  means  keeping  step  —  a  pleasing 
picture,  in  her  old  lady  bonnet  round  her  kind  face,  with  the  grey 
side  puffs,  the  Paisley  shawl  pinned  so  primly,  and  her  ample 
skirts.  They  were  arm  in  arm  walking  slowly  to  the  village 
church.  The  budding  saplings  along  the  crude  sidewalk  scarcely 
cast  their  shadows  as  high  as  his  shoulders.  My  childish  eyes 
had  never  seen  anything  so  old  and  so  new. 

It  need  not  be  said  that  little  Irvin,  besides  pious  training, 
had  many  lessons  given  him  from  the  early,  studious  lives  of  the 
Sherman  boys,  the  Ewing  boys  and  others,  who  as  famous  men, 
in  after  life,  in  turn  have  told  him  of  their  old  Pastor's  devoted 
life. 

I  trust  Cousin  Eliot  can  recall  some  instances  of  the  way  in 
which,  to  the  last,  he  befriended  widows  and  orphans.  His  old 
papers  show  appointments  of  guardianship.  And  through  their 
lives,  he  and  Mrs.  Wright  always  had  some  child  beside  their  own 
in  their  home,  either  as  student,  or  a  friend's  child,  or  one  bound. 
I  only  remember  the  story  of  the  very  last  one  and  that  had 
not  the  success  that  usually  attended  the  Parson's  proteges.  Very 
soon  after  going  to  Indiana  —  perhaps  in  '37  —  a  band  of  Indi- 
ans camped  for  a  day  and  night  across  the  river  from  the  Wright 
cabin.  When  they  left  in  the  grey  of  the  morning.  Grandfather 
Wright  crossed  over  the  river  to  make  sure  that  the  camp-fire  was 
safely  out  —  a  forest  fire  being  a  dread  of  pioneer  life.  As  he 
neared  the  smoking  sticks  a  low  moaning  met  his  ear.  Half 
buried  in  the  ashes  was  a  white  child,  with  a  bleeding  blow  or 
gash  over  the  head.  He  carried  it  home  begrimed  with  ashes 
and  blood.  Careful  bathing  showed  a  blue-eyed  baby  girl.  She 
was  justly  regarded  as  "a.  brand  caught  from  the  burning," 
and  adopted  as  a  zvard  by  the  County,  the  Presbyterian  Church 
and  the  Wright  family  especially.  A  neighbor  nursed  her  along 
with  her  own  child.  Yellow  curls  hid  the  hideous  scar.  The  classic 
authority  of  the  town  named  her  ''Cinderella/'  because  she  was 
found  among  the  cinders.  Also  the  pagan  name  was  a  pre- 
cursor of  her  nature.    She  was  queerly  naughty  and  smart  —  and 

72 


baleful  beyond  belief  In  her  foster  sister.  Time  only  brought  out 
unique  badness.  In  the  old-time  vernacular  she  "was  possessed 
of  a  devil"  —  in  modern,  I  suppose,  she  would  be  called  a  moral 
degenerate  —  unfit  for  any  home.  P>ut  the  faithful  Wripfht  spon- 
sors died  still  trustinj^  when  she  came  to  womanhood  she  would 
be  released  and  "clean,"  and  go  as  a  missionary  to  the  Indians. 

Fowler,  the  old  phrenologist,  then  traveling  through  western 
towns,  scored  a  triumph  when  she  was  brought  to  his  lecture  plat- 
form. In  spite  of  her  fair  face,  he  raised  the  yellow  curls  from 
her  brow  and  diagnosed  her  lacking  in  every  moral  trait,  and  of 
unusual  dexterity.  She  had  been  nicknamed  "Cin,"  but  it  came 
to  be  thought  of  as  "Sin,"  the  old  enemy  of  mankind.  In  church, 
she  was  either  a  seraph  or  a  mocking  monkey,  and  it  had  to  be 
given  up.  Yet  how  she  could  remember  the  most  awful  promises 
in  the  catechism  and  chant  them  in  dead  of  night.  The  Wrights, 
matron  and  maid,  labored  with  "Cin."  I  can  recall  the  "utterness" 
of  my  gentle  mother-in-law's  tone  as  she  would  say :  "Oh,  that 
being'"  The  pioneer  care  for  its  ward  came  down  so  she  was 
never  severely  punished  for  her  many  peccadilloes.  And  sinning 
and  sinned  against,  she  lived  long  years  between  the  County 
House  and  farmers'  homes,  till  a  short  time  ago.  Over  her  grave 
was  told  for  the  last  time,  the  story  of  how  Grandfather  Wright 
found  the  white  baby  in  an  Indian  camp  with  her  soul  knocked 
out  by  the  cruel  tomahawk.  Where  was  her  soul?  Is  she  num- 
bered with  the  Parson's  flock  ? 


73 


AN   ADDRESS   ON   THRZ.IFE  OF   REV. 
WILLIAM   COX 

BY  WILLIAM  COX  EWING. 

Rev.  William  Cox  was  the  second  pastor  of  this  church  in 
order  of  time  and  in  length  of  service.  His  pastorate  included  a 
period  of  especial  interest  in  the  history  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  United  States,  that  of  the  division  into  old  and  new 
school.  The  personality  of  its  pastor,  his  intensity  of  feeling, 
activity  of  mind  and  bod}',  thorough  grounding  in  Presbyterian 
standard  and  soundness  of  judgment,  appealed  to  his  congrega- 
tion, and  this  church  held  itself  aloof  for  five  years  from  the  con- 
troversy that  swept  the  church  at  large  and  then  went  into  the  Old 
.School  Assembly  with  unbroken  membership.  This  conserva- 
tism paved  the  way  for  the  reunion  that  came  in  the  course  of  time. 
It  is  v>^orth  noting  that  two  of  his  great  friends  in  the  ministry 
were  prominent  in  the  movement  that  reunited  the  two  branches 
of  the  church :  Dr.  Charles  C.  Beatty,  of  Steubenville,  Chairman 
of  the  old  School  Committee  of  Reunion,  and  Dr.  Phineas  D.  Gur- 
ley,  of  Washington,  whose  happy  amendment  removed  the  last 
obstacles — the  verbal  impedimenta  of  church  organization.  The 
tact  shown  in  this  controversy  was  also  manifested  in  the  relations 
with  other  churches.  His  pastorate  of  fourteen  years  in  this 
early  period  in  the  history  of  the  town  contributed  not  a  little 
to  that  recognition  of  intrinsic  merit  in  other  Christian  com- 
munions which  has  been  a  characteristic  of  Lancaster.  One  par- 
ticular congregation  was  in  fact  for  years  at  a  time  united  with 
this  church  and  has  never,  I  believe,  lost  the  cordiality  of  feeling 
that  community  of  worship  gives. 

A  brief  biography  of  Mr.  Cox  will  be  of  interest  to  those 
who  remember  him  as  well  as  to  those  who  have  known  but  little 
more  than  his  name  with  the  tradition  of  his  service.  He  was 
born  at  Brownsville,  Penn.,  Dec.  17,  1799,  in  the  Redstone  Presby- 

74 


Re\'.   W  in.  L(jx 


Rev.  Jolin  M.  Lowrie,  D.  D. 


tery  that  has  had  such  an  extensive  influence  upon  the  education 
and  moral  growth  of  the  great  Northwest.  His  father,  WilHani 
Cox,  was  a  \'irginian,  led  into  that  region  by  Virginia's  claim 
of  territory.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Brown,  a 
Marylander,  who  founded  the  town  of  Brownsville.  He  was  one 
of  the  oldest  of  eight  sons,  and  at  the  death  of  his  father  be 
became  a  member  of  the  family  of  his  uncle,  David  Ewing,  of 
I'niontown.  and  later  a  clerk  in  his  uncle's  store.  The  kindness 
of  this  Irish  Presbyterian  enabled  him  to  procure  the  means  to 
complete  his  education  by  a  course  in  college.  He  collected  a 
cargo  of  furs  in  Indiana,  made  the  two  months'  journey  in  a  flat- 
boat  down  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  to  New  Orleans,  where 
he  sold  his  furs.  As  he  made  his  way  home  afoot  he  stopped 
one  night  at  a  rough  shanty  and  found  a  rougher  crowd  inside. 
Seeing  a  fiddle  on  the  wall  he  took  it  down  and  for  some  hours 
played  such  music  as  that  crowd  had  never  heard.  In  the  morn- 
ing he  left  the  cabin  offering  to  pay  for  his  entertainment.  "No," 
said  his  host,  "your  music  has  paid  for  your  lodging  and  break- 
fast and  has  done  more  than  that  for  you."  In  fact,  Mr.  Cox 
alwavs  believed  his  knowledge  of  the  fiddle  had  saved  his  money, 
if  not  his  life  on  that  occasion. 

He  began  his  preparation  for  college  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, and  in  1821  entered  Jefferson  College,  at  Connonsburg,  then 
under  the  presidency  of  that  eminent  educator  and  Christian  min- 
ister, Dr.  Matthew  Brown,  whose  friendship  he  retained  through- 
out life.  There  are  some  notes  of  his  last  year  at  Jefferson,  giving 
the  character  of  his  studies  and  mentioning  his  room-mate,  Mr. 
Brotherton.    He  graduated  in  1825. 

Here  he  learned  a  lesson  of  good  sense  in  Public  Ministry. 
He  was  at  an  inn  on  Sunday  and  seeing  a  gentleman  shaving  him- 
self in  the  public  room  took  him  to  task  for  disregard  of  the 
Sabbath.  The  gentleman  was  a  noted  lawyer,  Ben  Tappen,  who 
rather  set  up  for  free-thinking.  "Where  are  you  attending 
school?"  said  Mr.  Tappen.  "At  Jefferson,"  was  the  reply.  "I 
thought  so,"  said  Mr.  Tappen.  "That  is  w^here  they  turn  out  par- 
sons like  they  do  pewter  spoons  in  New  England,  they  run  'em." 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  Mr.  Cox  set  out  for  Princeton  clad 
in  a  suit  of  home-made  jeans  presented  to  him  by  a  lady  in  Ken- 


tucky,  who  wished  to  contribute  to  the  education  of  some  student 
for  the  ministry.  His  route  took  him  through  Philadelphia, 
where  he  had  begun  to  find  his  suit  not  entirely  in  the  usual 
style,  but  he  presently  forgot  this  discomforting  fact,  his  semi- 
nary course  and  everything  else,  in  listening  to  the  music  of  a 
famous  band  which  he  followed  about  all  day.  Possibly  it  was 
then  that  he  heard  the  great  Ned  Kendaly  whose  cornet  was  re- 
nowned on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic. 

Princeton  Seminary  was  then  under  the  charge  of  its  found- 
erSj  Dr.  Archibald  Alexander  and  Dr.  Samuel  Miller,  the  ablest 
faculty  a  Seminary  could  boast.  Attending  the  Seminary  at  this 
time  were  three  students  who  were  later  well-known  divines  of 
the  Episcopal  church  —  Bishop  Mcllvaine,  Bishop  Johns  and  Dr. 
Muhlenberg.  It  is  not  surprising  that  these  young  men  should 
have  expressed  a  desire  to  be  admitted  into  the  ministry  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  but  the  request  was  refused  and  the  stu- 
dents advised  to  remain  in  their  own  church,  where  their  early 
association  and  acquaintance  would  give  them  a  wider  field  of 
usefulness.  It  was  this  training  that  was  the  foundation  of  the 
Calvinism  noticed  by  a  recent  church  historian  in  the  saintly 
Bishop  Johns  and  in  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  and  of  the  preference 
Bishop  Mcllvaine  always  expressed  for  simpler  ceremonies  in  his 
church.  This  incident  made  deep  impression  on  the  mind  of  Mr. 
Cox,  and  he  often  spoke  of  it  as  illustrating  the  breadth  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  which  is  so  ofter  called  narrow. 

Mr.  Cox's  notes  began  with  a  sermon  of  Dr.  Alexander's  in 
December,  1825,  and  mention  another  to  the  class  about  to  gradu- 
ate on  August  I2th,  ]826.  In  the  fall  of  1827  he  was  one  of 
forty-five  volunteers  from  the  Seminary  and  the  College  of  New 
Jersey  to  carry  Bibles  into  homes  destitute  of  the  word  of  God. 
They  made  a  thorough  canvass  of  the  entire  state  of  New  Jersey 
and  seven  thousand  Bibles  were  distributed.  This  movement  was 
set  on  foot  by  Rev,  Mr.  Plalsey  and  readily  taken  up  by  all  the 
Bible  Societies  of  the  state.  The  money  was  collected  as  the  work 
proceeded,  the  first  day  bringing  $400.  Mr.  Cox  mentions  Messrs. 
Carroll  and  Riddle  as  co-laborers  in  this  field.  One  of  the  prom- 
inent workers  was  Rev.  Robert  Baird,  later  on  an  evangelist  and 
apostle  of  temperance  to  the  greater  part  of  Europe,  with  whose 

76 


family  Mr.  Cox  made  his  home  for  a  time  in  Princeton.  Two 
of  New  Jersey's  prominent  officials  also  took  part.  Gen.  Freling- 
huysen  and  Chief  Justice  Charles  Ewing. 

The  illiteracy  disclosed  by  this  canvass  led  to  the  appoint- 
ment of  Messrs.  Halsey  and  Cox  as  commissioners  to  collect 
funds  for  the  establishment  of  free  primary  schools,  and  missions 
for  preaching  rmd  Sabbath  School  instruction.  Thirty-three 
teachers  were  employed  and  750  pupils  were  enrolled.  The  task 
of  locating  the  schools  and  interesting  the  various  communities 
in  them  fell  to  Mr.  Baird,  who  was  then  principal  of  the  Academy 
at  Princeton.  The  establishment  of  the  common  school  system 
of  New  Jersey  was  the  outgrowth  of  this  work,  which  occupied  a 
good  deal  of  the  year  1828,  the  year  of  Mr.  Cox's  graduation  at 
the  seminary. 

He  was  then  ordained  by  the  faculty  of  Princeton  for  mission 
work  among  the  French  and  Spanish  sailors  of  New  Orleans.  He 
had  longed  to  go  as  missionary  to  the  Greeks,  but  his  mother's  en- 
treaties had  prevailed  on  him  to  remain  in  the  United  States.  He 
spent  some  eight  months  in  Bible  and  tract  distribution  in  the  Sun- 
day schools,  homes  and  on  the  levees  of  New  Orleans,  some  of 
the  tracts  being  sent  into  Mexico.  His  work  was  brought  to  an 
end  by  an  outbreak  of  yellow  fever.  On  his  return  to  the  North 
he  found  his  friend,  Mr.  Baird,  at  the  head  of  the  American 
Sunday  School  Association,  engaged  in  establishing  Sunday 
Schools  in  the  Mississippi  valley,  and  he  became  one  of  the  work- 
ers as  he  had  special  knowledge  of  the  field.  He  traveled  through- 
out Ohio  and  Indiana.  An  address  on  the  purposes  of  the  asso- 
ciation, written  in  18.^0,  gives  a  brief  account  of  Sabbath  Schools 
from  the  sixteenth  century  school,  established  by  the  Catholic 
bishop  of  Milan,  to  the  revival  of  the  work  in  England  by  Robert 
Raikes,  and  describes  their  institution  in  Philadelphia  in  1791. 
His  associaton  was  undenominational  and  began  in  1824  with  723 
schools  and  had  6,000  by  1830,  and  was  soon  followed  by  like 
associations  in  the  several  churches. 

Earlv  in  1831  Mr.  Cox  accepted  a  charge  in  Wayne  County, 
Ohio,  where  his  mother  was  then  living,  preaching  at  Apple 
Creek  and  Killbuck,  and  was  called  later  to  the  church  at  Woos- 
ter.     Here  he  married   Margaret  Ann   Beall,  daughter  of  Gen. 


Eeasin  Reall,  and  in  August,  1836,  came  with  his  Httle  family  to 
Lancaster.  On  January  7th,  1850,  he  began  his  pastorate  at 
Piqua,  which  was  terminated  by  his  death,  September  23rd,  1856. 

Under  the  conditions  of  travel  and  commerce  then  general, 
Lancaster  had  in  this  period  a  resident  population  that  gave  a 
stimulus  to  uitellectual  and  social  life  that  was  rarely  surpassed 
by  cities  of  larger  growth  and  longer  history.  Its  citizens  who 
have  been  called  to  prominence  in  many  walks  of  life  have  shown 
in  their  sterling  qualities  the  fruits  of  their  early  training  and 
environment.  In  this  society  it  was  Mr.  Cox's  happiness  to  find 
an  appreciative  audience,  not  confined  to  his  creed,  and  to  hold 
them  in  his  congregation  by  his  intelligent  and  fervent  presenta- 
tion of  the  Scriptures,  and  by  its  sympathetic  application  to  the 
needs  of  his  hearers.  He  was  born  and  grew  to  manhood  on  the 
frontier.  He  knew  the  pioneer  w^ork  that  w^as  going  on  around 
him  to  bring  civiUzation  out  of  the  stumps  of  the  forest  and  to 
cultivate  tlie  gentler  arts  of  peace  where  the  bolder  and  hardier, 
though  sometimes  coarser,  elements  had  held  sway.  The  social 
attractions  of  the  town,  the  growth  of  schools  and  churches,  the 
establishment  of  libraries,  the  cultivation  of  music  and  the  fine 
arts,  were  all  appreciated  by  him  as  part  of  the  development  of 
the  higher  life. 

His  talent  led  him  to  take  rare  pleasure  in  the  cultivation 
of  music,  but  so  great  was  the  early  prejudice  against  certain 
instruments,  a  prejudice  inherited  from  Scotch  ancestors,  perhaps, 
that  when  he  came  to  Lancaster  he  had  to  close  the  doors  and 
windows  while  he  played  upon  the  violin,  lest  he  scandalize  the 
neighbors.  In  a  very  few  years  the  church  session  permitted  the 
introduction  of  the  violin,  bass  viol  and  flute  into  the  church  choir, 
and  the  congregation  felt  the  stimulus  of  the  pastor's  enthusiasm 
and  skill  in  church  music.  One  incident  in  this  connection  I  have 
heard  described.  The  preacher  and  the  choir,  alternately  singing 
the  parts,  rendered  with  indescribable  effect  that  beautiful  pastoral 
h>Tnn: 

Watchman,  tell  us  of  the  night. 

What  its  signs  of  promise  are. 
Traveler,  o'er  yon  mountain's  height, 

See  that  glory-beaming  star, 

78 


Watchman,  docs  its  beauteous  ray 

Aught  of  hope  or  joy  foretell? 
Traveler,  yes,  it  brings  the  clay, 
Promised  day  of  Israel. 

Mr.  Cox  used  to  tell  of  a  prayer-meeting  at  Princeton  when 
the  Student  Congregation  in  Nassau  Hall  Chapel  were  delighted 
to  hear  a  beautiful  tenor  voice  join  in  their  singing,  and  everybody 
stopped  singing  to  listen.  They  were  no  less  pleased  to  learn  that 
the  singer  was  Lowell  Mason,  a  man  who  is  known  wherever 
American  church  music  is  sung. 

With  the  simplicity  of  an  earlier  faith,  there  was  in  Mr.  Cox's 
preaching  an  intense  realization  of  the  blessing  and  comfort  of  the 
gospel.  "If  religion  be  something,"  he  writes,  "it  is  everything; 
if  it  be  of  importance,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance."  Of  a 
nervous  temperament,  in  keeping  with  his  small  person,  bright, 
animated  countenance,  and  black,  piercing  eye,  he  spoke  with  a 
fervor  of  which  written  words  can  give  but  a  slight  impression. 
With  his  charming  address,  the  magnetic  fire  which  animated  him 
in  speaking,  led  President  McGuflfey  to  say  to  his  class  in  rhetoric, 
"If  you  wish  to  hear  the  finest  orator  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  go  up 
to  Lancaster  and  hear  the  Rev.  William  Cox  preach." 

His  sermons  were  usually  written,  but  his  dependence  on  the 
manuscript  was  so  slight  that  he  often  used  but  a  sketch  of  the 
theme.  'He  gives  his  own  ideal  in  a  charge  to  a  young  minister: 
"You  must  be  a  diligent  student.  Neither  talents  nor  piety  will 
supersede  the  necessity  of  application.  Sermons  must  be  studied 
or  thev  will  be  commonplace,  pointless  compositions.  Unstudied 
written  sermons  are  as  much  more  intolerable  than  extempore 
effusion,  as  methodical  dullness  is  more  irksome  than  unmethod- 
ocal  zeal ;  for  as  to  matter,  both  will  hang  in  even  scales. 

"Stinmlate  the  church  and  every  family  in  your  charge  to  the 
work  of  religious  education.  It  behooves  you  to  acquire  as  you 
may  do  an  all-pervading  influence  among  your  people  under  which 
they  shall  assume  a  character  and  stability  such  as  they  ought  to 
possess.  You  must  love  your  people.  You  must  know  your  flock, 
attend  religious  meetings,  pray  by  the  bed  of  the  sick,  visit  mourn- 
ers and  go  from  house  to  house,  not  merely  making  social  visits, 
but  to  teach  them  the  way  of  life,  and  to  do  them  good." 

79 


"I  am  glad  to  learn  that  you  are  among  the  Presbyterians, 
in  whom  there  is  no  guile,  who  consider  their  ordination  vows 
binding  on  the  conscience  and  not  a  mere  couA^enience  to  obtain  a 
settlement."  So  wrote  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wynkoop  in  dismissing 
two  of  his  congregation  to  join  the  Lancaster  church. 

The  work  at  Lancaster  included  the  church  of  the  town 
and  of  Greenfield.  There  was  a  particular  interest  at  Greenfield 
in  the  presence  of  Dr.  John  Williams'  School  for  Boys,  for  the 
rare  faculty  of  that  western  genius  attached  a  bright  class  of  pu- 
pils, two  of  whom  became  members  of  Mr.  Cox's  family  in  later 
years.  A  son  of  Dr.  Williams  often  told  me  of  the  pleasure  with 
which  he  listened  to  Mr.  Cox  in  the  church  at  Greenfield.  Country 
visiting  made  a  good  deal  of  driving  necessary  and  Mr.  Cox  not 
only  admired  a  good  horse,  but  always  possessed  one,  a  taste  that 
was  shared  by  a  later  pastor  of  the  church,  the  genial  and  ener- 
getic Mr.  Boyd. 

One  incident  of  his  pastorate  here  shows  the  intensity  of 
race  antagonism  in  those  stirring  times.  A  colored  man  who 
had  been  ordained,  preached  from  this  pulpit  in  1840  or  about  that 
time.  As  he  entered  the  pulpit,  one  gentleman  of  the  congrega- 
tion left  the  church  and  never  returned.  On  the  question  of  that 
"peculiar  instituion,"  that  happily  exists  no  longer,  there  could 
be  no  complete  accord  in  a  congregation  gathered  from  different 
sections  of  the  Union.  Mr.  Cox  held  decided  views  and  he  en- 
couraged the  extension  of  the  African  Colonization  Society  as  a 
measure  promising  much  good  to  the  negro  race. 

An  address  on  the  Fourth  of  July  contained  an  appeal  to  the 
South  for  serious  consideration  of  the  subject,  with  a  foreboding 
that  was  to  become  prophetic.  "Let  it  be  remembered  and  pon- 
dered well  that  upon  the  m.en  of  this  generation  it  may  depend 
wdiether  the  evils  which  slavery  has  entailed  upon  it  cease  grad- 
ually and  safely  or  whether  they  be  swept  away  by  the  breath  of 
Almighty  justice."  Other  passages  have  more  than  a  prophetic 
or  historical  interest.  "Patriotism  demands  that  a  right  direction 
should  be  given  to  the  spirit  of  enterprise.  It  is  this  spirit  that 
more  than  anything  else  characterized  our  people  in  the  estimation 
of  other  nations.  Nothing  but  a  spirit  of  lofty  enterprise  could 
have  prompted  to  an  endurance  of  the  perils  attending  the  first 

80 


settlement  of  America  and  nowhere  on  the  face  of  the  earth  could 
there  have  Ix'en  found  a  field  so  ample  or  so  well  adapted  to  the 
display  of  this  lofty  sentiment.  *  *  *  Deep  and  ample  waves  of  em- 
pire settinj:^  to  the  west  will  soon  recoil.  The  voice  of  the  west 
will  yet  sway  the  counsels  of  the  Republic.  They  will  have  it  in 
their  power  to  give  a  president  to  the  Union  and  from  west  of  the 
Alles:heny  Mountains  will  go  forth  a  mandate  that  will  direct  tJie 
energies  of  New  England  and  every  Atlantic  state.  They  will  pre- 
side in  the  storm  of  war  if  we  are  involved  in  war ;  they  will  com- 
mand and  appropriate  the  resources  of  peace — our  most  fervent 
prayers  are  demanded  that  the  spirit  of  lofty  enterprise  may 
not  find  a  ruinous  channel  and  pour  itself  back  on  our  soil  charged 
with  moral  deformity,  with  political  disorder,  with  destruction  to 
our  altars,  our  temples,  and  our  schools." 

"Our  institutions  have  grown  out  of  intelligence.  They  are 
fitted  only  to  a  virtuous  people.  They  will  die  the  moment  the 
nation  becomes  corrupt.  Our  national  and  state  constitutions 
have  made  no  provision  for  a  state  of  things  where  the  people 
shall  not  be  universally  enlightened  and  moral.  A  man  who  can- 
not read  and  who  is  not  acquainted  with  his  rights  is  a  being  not 
contemplated  in  our  system  of  government.  Other  nations  have 
organized  armies  to  1-eep  the  physical  forces  of  the  people  in 
subjection.    Our  schools  have  taken  the  place  of  sfandiui:;  armies. 

I  have  only  one  word  to  add.  This  Lancaster  church  v/as 
graven  on  his  heart.  Coming  to  it  in  the  vigorous  manhood  of 
his  thirty-six  years,  he  gave  to  it  the  best  part  of  his  life.  He 
built  it  up  with  the  blessing  of  God  into  a  strong  spiritual  church, 
whose  influence  extended  throughout  the  state.  He  also  engaged 
in  all  v.ork  that  had  for  its  object  the  betterment  of  the  citizens 
outside  of  his  congregation,  so  that  his  personal  influence  was  as 
great  out  of  the  pulpit  as  in  it.  Loyal  and  true  to  his  friends, 
courteous  to  those  who  difTered  from  him — for  enemies  he  had 
none — the  soul  of  honor ;  with  great  versatility  of  talent,  a  pow- 
erful preacher  and  most  interesting  companion.  He  had  the  de- 
votion of  the  people  of  his  charge  and  the  strong,  wann  friendship 
of  his  fellow  townsmen.  Here  he  buried  his  young  and  beautiful 
wife,  and  in  a  few  years  two  little  boys  took  their  flight  to  the 
spirit  world.     This  crushing  weight  of  sorrow  only  added  ten- 

81 


derness  to  his  sympathetic  disposition,  and  aching  hearts  were 
comforted  as  he  was  comforted  of  God. 

This  was  his  last  message  to  his  people :  "Please  to  give  my 
kind  farewell  to  all  my  dear  friends,  all  of  those  whom  we  have 
loved  and  cherished.  Oh,  they  all  crowd  up  upon  the  memory 
and  fill  the  heart  as  I  think  of  them.  My  heart  clings  to  these 
yet  with  a  pure  and  fervent  love.    I  can  never  forget  them." 


82 


LETTER   OF    REV.    J.   G.    LOWRIE,    D.  D. 

Ipava,  111.,  Oct.  16,  1905. 
Rev.  John  Gourley,  Lancaster,  Ohio. 

Dear  Bro. — Your  note  of  invitation  is  at  hand.  It  would 
afford  me  great  pleasure  to  attend  the  Centennial  celebration 
in  your  church,  if  the  way  were  clear. 

I  have  a  great  affection  for  Lancaster,  where  six  years  of 
my  early  childhood  were  spent,  though  I  have  few  friends  now 
living  there  who  would  remember  me. 

I  do  not  feel  that  I  can  write  anything  respecting  my  father 
that  would  do  justice  to  his  memory  or  to  the  occasion,  but  I 
wisli  there  might  be  someone  present  qualified  to  speak  of  him 
as  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  While  my  father  was  a  devoted 
pastor,  and  entered  with  unwearied  and  intelligent  interest 
into  the  daily  lives  of  his  parishoners,  and  was  fertile  in  plans 
for  their  instruction  in  his  Bible  classes  and  in  their  homes,  it 
was  as  a  preacher  that  his  power  was  chiefly  felt  and  widely 
recognized. 

His  published  books  are  valuable  expositions  of  Scripture ; 
and  when  it  is  remembered  that  at  the  time  he  wrote  them 
there  were  very  few  scholarly  men  who  had  given  their  atten- 
tion to  this  form  of  Biblical  authorship,  so  that  he  may  fairly 
be  called  a  pioneer  in  this  field  of  sacred  literature — his  claim 
to  originality  of  a  very  high  order  must  be  acknowledged. 

I  recall,  however,  a  remark  he  more  than  once  made  to  me, 
in  the  later  years  of  his  life,  to  the  effect  that  these  published 
books  did  not  fairly  represent  his  pulpit  work,  in  that  they 
were  his  Sunday  evening  lectures,  designed  to  be  of  a  more 
popular  character  than  his  morning  sermons.  These  morn- 
ing discourses  were,  for  the  most  part,  fully  written  out, 
though  often  delivered  without  notes.  I  have  in  my  posses- 
sion a  great  many  of  these  manuscripts,  and  though  I  have 

83 


been  a  great  reader  of  sermons,  and  have  many  volumes  of 
the  best  sermons  published  upon  my  shelves,  I  find  no  ser- 
mons among  them  that  compare  w^ith  these  of  my  father, 
taken  as  a  whole,  for  vigor  of  thought,  accurate  scholarship, 
felicity  of  expression  and  fidelity  to  the  Gospel.  Many  of 
them  are  models.  Not  one  of  them  is  poorly  done.  Would 
that  we  had  more  such  preaching  to-day ! 

But  I  am  trespassing  upon  your  time,  whereas  I  designed  to 
write  only  a  few  lines.  Hoping  that  Providence  may  favor  you 
in  every  way  in  your  celebration,  and  with  very  kind  regards, 
I  am,  Very  sincerely  yours, 

J.  GIBSON  LOWRIE. 


84 


Rev.    K.   C.  (jalhr.nti,.    D.    U. 


Rev.  G.    H.   Fullerlon.   D.   D. 


ADDRESS    OF    REV.    ROBERT   C. 
GALBRAITH,    D.  D. 

In  the  fall  of  1856  I  attended  a  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Cin- 
cinnati, at  I'rbana.  as  a  spectator.  I  was  not  then  ordained,  hut 
had  been  licensed,  by  the  Presbytery  of  Chillicothe,  in  April  of 
that  year.  In  June  I  was  married  and  had  made  no  effort,  as  yet, 
to  get  a  place  for  preaching.  At  this  Synod  I  first  met  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Josiah  D.  Smith,  then  of  Columbus,  one  of  the  excellent  of 
earth,  a  most  manly  man,  and  a  preacher  whose  praise  was  in  all 
the  churches.  He,  who  belonged  to  the  old  Synod  of  Ohio,  had 
come  to  look  in  upon  the  meetings,  intending  to  return  to  his 
home  on  Friday,  but  became  interested  and  determined  to  stay 
until  Saturday  evening,  if  he  could  get  some  one  to  preach,  in 
his  pulpit,  on  the  Sabbath  day.  My  classmate,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Brooks,  late  of  St.  Louis,  but  then  of  Dayton,  told  him  that  I 
could  go  with  him.  So  I  went  and  preached,  morning  and  even- 
ing, in  a  lecture  room  of  Starling  Medical  College,  the  West- 
minster Church,  of  which  Dr.  Smith  was  pastor  until  his  death, 
not  having  as  yet  built  their  house  of  worship.  Monday  morn- 
ing the  Doctor  asked  me  where  I  preached  and  when  I  told  him 
I  had  not  yet  any  place,  he  said  the  church  in  Lancaster  was 
vacant  and  that  he  would  write,  recommending  me  as  a  candidate 
for  the  pastorate  of  that  church. 

Soon  after  I  received  a  letter  inviting  me  to  spend  a 
Sabbath  here,  and  the  Sabbath  following  Thanksgiving  for 
the  first  time,  I  stood  in  the  pulpit  if  this  church  and  began 
my  work  here.  Returning  the  next  Sabbath,  I  continued  to  sup- 
ply the  pulpit  until  June  9th,  1857,  when  I  was  ordained  and 
installed  as  pastor,  which  relation  was  dissolved,  by  the  Presby- 
tery, October  8,  1862.  When  I  came  to  Lancaster  I  had  eight 
sermons  and  felt  that  I  had  ample  provision  for  a  few  weeks,  and 
had  no  thought  of  preparing  another  until  I  had  preached  what 


I  had — this  good  custom  I  have  since  observed.  Some  preachers 
are  always  writing  sermons  ahead,  but,  during  all  my  ministry 
here,  I  was  never  ready  for  the  Sabbath's  work  until  Saturday 
evening,  but  always  had  my  two  sermons  written  before  I  went 
to  bed  Saturday  night  and,  in  all  my  ministry,  I  never  wrote  but 
one  sermon  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  that  was  for  the  funeral  of  a 
man  who  had  long  been  a  prominent  member  of  the  church.  I 
say  this  not  to  boast  of  my  observance  of  the  Sabbath  for,  in  this, 
as  in  many  other  duties,  I  have  often  failed — but  while  there  was 
always  something  keeping  me  from  beginning  preparation,  for 
the  performance  of  any  public  duty,  there  was  always  something 
that  compelled  me  to  finish  such  preparation  as  I  could  make,  a 
little  before  the  time.  When  I  came  here  I  was  in  my  24th  year 
and  it  would  seem  to  me  now  a  dangerous  venture  for  a  boy  of 
that  age  to  take  charge  of  an  old,  esta,blished  church,  in  a  city 
such  as  Lancaster  was  even  then,  but,  with  the  confidence  of 
youth  and  ignorance,  I  had  no  fear.  Even  at  that  early  age,  there 
must  have  been  something  about  me  that  looked  like  I  meant  busi- 
ness, since  one  member  of  the  church,  who  had  a  dry  goods  store, 
told  me  of  his  surprise  when  I  was  introduced  to  him  as  a  preach- 
er. He  said  when  I  came  into  his  store,  that  he  was  sure  that  I 
was  a  drummer  who  wanted  to  sell  him  a  bill  of  goods. 

I  was  welcomed  and  entertained  on  my  first  appearance  here 
at  the  home  of  Joseph  Work,  Sr.,  an  elder  in  the  church — a  man 
of  great  natural  ability,  of  most  kindly  nature,  and  of  strong  will 
— an  Irishman  with  all  of  an  Irishman's  love  of,  and  faithful  ad- 
herence to,  his  friends :  he  was  orthodox  to  the  core,  a  manly,  up- 
right, downright  man  ;  a  man  who  had  his  own  opinions  and  who 
stuck  to  them  ;  a  man  who  won  my  respect  at  once  and  soon 
gained  my  confidence  and  love ;  a  man  who  would  have  felt  that 
he  had  disgraced  himself  and  put  dishonor  upon  his  name  if  he 
had  ever  gone  back  on  a  friend.  I  am  glad  of  this  opportunity 
to  speak  of  this  old  friend  whom  some  of  you  may  recollect. 

We,  in  a  few  days,  made  our  home  with  Mrs.  Hutchins,  a 
warm-hearted  Methodist  lady,  who  kept  a  boarding  house  on 
Main  street,  and  took  good  care  of  us  for  about  two  years.  My 
wife  and  I  had  each  a  trunk ;  there  was  no  closet,  nor  any  place 

86 


in  the  rooms,  which  had  once  been  a  double  parlor,  in  which  to 
put  our  clothes,  but  the  trunks  furnished  abundant  room  until  I 
boug^ht  a  larj^e,  portable  wardrobe  and  we  have  never  had  room 
to  put  our  things  in  since.  When  we  left  Mrs.  Hutchins'  we 
went  to  housekeeping  in  a  neat,  brick  cottage  which  stood  (and 
still  stands)  back  of  the  church.  There  was  then  a  regular  market 
to  which  we  must  go  for  meats,  vegetables,  etc.  I  remember 
the  first  morning  that  I  went  to  the  market.  With  a  basket  on  my 
arm,  I  felt  like  a  householder,  a  man  of  family,  the  head  of  a  fam- 
ily. In  going  through  the  market  house,  before  I  had  made  any 
purchases,  I  passed  a  bunch  of  chickens  lying  with  their  legs 
tied  together,  in  perfect  silence,  until  just  as  I  passed  them,  when 
every  chicken  began  to  squeal,  convincing  me  of  the  superior  in- 
telligence of  the  Lancaster  chickens.  It  looked  as  if  they  knew 
a  preacher  at  sight,  and  knowing,  feared  him.  They  thought  their 
time  had  come,  the  day  of  doom  had  dawned  for  them. 

When  we  went  to  housekeeping  we,  of  necessity,  had  to  have 
a  girl  to  do  the  cooking,  etc,  a  maid  of  all  work.  With  the  rash- 
ness belonging  to  inexperienced  youth,  I  engaged  one,  who  came 
looking  for  work,  without  consulting  with  anyone.  As  soon  as 
it  was  discovered  who  our  maid  was,  ladies  one  after  another 
warned  us  of  the  great  mistake  that  we  had  made.  They  even 
more  than  hinted  that  she  was  light-fingered  and  predicted  that 
we  would  soon  have  things  mysteriously  disappearing  from  the 
house.  But,  to  the  honor  of  the  girl,  I  want  to  say  that  we  never 
since  have  had  her  equal  in  getting  work  out  of  the  way.  She 
had  rather  a  high  temper,  but  the  madder  she  w^as  the  more  dili- 
gently did  she  work.  The  only  lapse  that,  to  my  knowledge,  she 
ever  made  was  once  when  she  visited  her  sister,  who  had  just 
butchered  some  pigs.  Upon  her  return  she  brought  back,  with 
her  sister's  compliments,  some  nice  pieces  of  fresh  pork,  tender- 
loins, spare  ribs,  etc.  But  she  had  not  been  long  at  the  house 
until  her  sister  came,  in  a  furious  rage,  and  began  heaping  abuse 
on  our  girl,  charging  her  with  stealing  her  meat.  But  our  girl's 
temper  was  aroused  and  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  The  invective 
sarcasm  and  irony  that  she  poured  out  on  the  sister,  for  her  mean, 
low-life  stinginess  in  making  a  disturbance  about  a  little  meat 


were  things  to  be  wondered  at.  The  words  came  from  her  mouth 
in  a  full  stream,  as  sometimes  you  may  have  leen  angry  bees  pour 
out  from  a  hive,  and  every  word  had  a  sting  in  it.  The  sister 
was  soon  silenced  and  went  off,  defeated  and  ashamed,  and  glad 
to  leave  the  meat. 

The  sexton  of  the  church  was  a  peculiar  man.  One  of  the 
prominent  members  of  the  church  was  a  very  dignified  man,  a 
type  in  many  respects  of  what  we  sometimes  hear  called  a  gentle- 
man of  the  old  school,  very  particular  in  speech  and  manner  and 
hedged  about  with  an  air  of  self-satisfaction.  But  all  his  dignity 
did  not  prevent  the  sexton  from  giving  him  advice.  One  Sab- 
bath morning,  when  he  had  ascended  the  many  steps  that  were 
in  front  of  the  old  church  and  stood  upon  the  broad  platform 
before  the  door  of  the  entrance  to  the  auditorium,  the  sexton, 
whose  appearance  and  manner  reminded  one  somewhat  of  the 
"Umble  Uriah  Heep,"  came  up  to  him,  rubbing  his  hands  to- 
gether, and  in  a  fawning  tone  of  voice  said :  "A'Ir.  ,  don't 

you  think  it  is  about  time  for  you  to  get  a  new  hat?" 

The  sexton,  who,  principally  because  that  was  not  his  name, 
I  will  call  Mr.  Brown,  was  a  very  tender-hearted  man  who  could 
not  bear  to  see  even  dumb  brutes  suffer.  He  had  several  pigs  in 
a  pen,  to  fatten  for  his  winter's  meat  and  he  took  great  care  of 
them.  One  of  the  elders,  who  lived  near  him,  noticed  one  morn- 
ing an  addition  to  his  stock  of  a  likely  pig,  and  said,  "Mr.  Brown, 
I  see  you  have  another  pig  in  your  pen,  and  I  believe  it  is  rather 
the  best  one  in  the  lot."  "Yes,"  replied  the  sexton.  "Where 
did  you  get  it?"  said  the  elder.  "I  saw  it  running  about  in  the 
alley,  nobody  seemed  to  claim  it  and  I  just  put  it  in  the  pen  with 

mine ."      "Do   you   think   that   was    right?"    said   the   elder. 

"Well,"  replied  the  sexton,  "I  thought  it  would  be  better  for  the 
hog." 

Of  course  he  had  not  thought  whether  it  would  be  better  for 
the  sexton  to  have  such  an  addition  to  his  live  stock. 

I  do  not  know  how  he  came  out  in  the  speculation,  but  am 
very  sure  that  if  his  venture  turned  out  as  he  desired  and  ex- 
pected and  he  was  able  to  keep  the  animal  until  butchering  time, 
his  sympathy  did  not  prevent  him  from  killing  the  pig. 


The  most  intercstin^e^  and  profitable  period  of  my  pastorate 
here  was  during:  the  revival  of  1858.     Some  of  you  may  remem- 
ber how  an  interest  arose  over  all  the  country  in  religious  affairs 
and  in  all  the  towns  and  cities  morning  prayer  meetings  were 
held  every  day  in  the  week.    These  were  union  meetings.     Here 
the  Methodist,  the  English  Lutheran,  the  liaptist,  the  Episcopal, 
the  Reformed  and  the  Presbyterian  churches  united  in  the  effort 
and   for  weeks  and  months  a  prayer  meeting  was  held  every 
morning,  the  leader  of  one  day  chosing  some  one  to  lead  the 
next  ilay.     Those  meetings  were  productive  of  very  much  good. 
There  was  no  excitement  and  yet  there  was  a  deep  feeling.    The 
only  discussion  that    I  remember,  among  the  different  ministers 
and  leading  members  of  the  church,  was  as  to  whether  we  should 
have  a  mourner's  bench,  which  some  of  the  good  brethren  zealous- 
ly advocaterl.    The  Rev.  Mr.  Bonte,  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and- 
I  opposed  the  innovation  and  succeeded  in  keeping  the  bench  out. 
We  didn't  know  any  better.     How  it  may  be  with  Mr.  Bonte  I 
do  not  certainly  know,  but,  as  for  me,  I  don't  know  any  better 
yet.    I  do  not  know  whether  the  absence  of  the  mourners'  bench 
was  the  cause  or  not,  but  one  man  who  was,  I  am  sure,  a  very 
good  man  and  who,  at  the  begiiming,  was  very  zealous  in  the 
work  and  very  faithful  in  his  attendance,  suddenly  ceased  coming, 
and  when  asked  why,  said  he  had  very  nearly  lost  his  soul  by 
attending  these  meetings  and  had  to  quit  to  save  himself.     That 
being  the  case,  he  was  very  right,  but  I  heard  of  no  such  dis- 
astrous effect  upon  any  others. 

The  meetings  proved  a  great  blessing  to  our  church  and 
quite  a  number,  and  several  prominent  business  men,  were  re- 
ceived into  the  church  and,  so  far  as  I  know,  all  of  them  remained 
in  good  standing  during  their  lives.  Most  of  them  have  gone  to 
enter  upon  their  reward  and  I  trust,  all  of  them,  were  welcomed 
to  the  privileges  and  delights  of  the  Heaven  that  our  Lord  has 
prepared  for  those  who  love  and  serve  Him. 

After  the  union  meetings  were  discontinued,  for  quite  a 
time,  on  Sabbath  mornings,  before  preaching,  a  prayer  meeting 
was  held  in  our  church,  the  leader  this  week  appointing  the  leader 
for  the  next. 


89 


In  the  union  meetings  all  knelt  in  prayer,  but  in  the  meet- 
ing in  our  church  we  followed  what  was  then  the  universal  cus- 
tom, in  the  Presbyterian  churches,  of  standing.  But  ther  was  one 
brother  who,  for  some  reason,  kept  on  kneeling.  One  morning 
a  member  of  the  church,  who  was  a  very  precise  man,  careful  and 
deliberate  in  all  his  utterances,  led  the  meeting  and,  when  he 
thought  the  time  was  out,  said,  "Will  Brother  Charles  Dresbach 
lead  us  in  our  devotions?"  and  then  made  quite  a  pause.  All  the 
congregation  rose,  or  were  rising  to  their  feet,  when  he  concluded 
with  "next  Sabath  morning."  The  brother  of  whom  I  spoke 
popped  down  on  his  knees  and  leaned  his  head  against  the  back  of 
the  seat  in  front  of  him,  shut  his  eyes  and  waited  to  hear  the 
beginning  of  the  prayer.  He  had  heard  the  noise  of  the  rising 
congregation,  had  indeed  seen  the  people  start  to  their  feet  and 
supposed,  of  course,  that  all  were  in  decorous  silence,  solemnly 
standing.  He  had  two  or  three  expressions  that  we  used  fre- 
quently to  manifest  his  surprise.  One  was  "Did  you  ever,"  an- 
other was,  "Well,  I'll  never  stir."  After  waiting  a  short  time, 
he  lifted  his  head  from  the  back  of  the  bench,  and  gave  a  very 
hasty  glance  around  and,  I  imagined,  that  he  was  saying  to  him- 
self, "Did  you  ever."  But  the  glance  was  hasty,  and  he  had 
heard  the  noise  of  the  rising  congregation  and  though  the  quick 
glance  half  assured  him  that  all  were  seated,  he  could  not  be- 
lieve the  testimony  of  his  eyes  and  his  head  went  down  again. 
After  waiting  quite  a  while,  hearing  nothing,  he  determined 
to  satisfy  himself  fully  and,  still  on  his  knees,  lifted  his  head  and 
deliberately  took  a  view  of  the  situation  and  I  saw,  or  fancied 
I  saw  his  moving  lips  say,  "I'll  never  stir!" 

But  now  he  was  in  trouble.  He  wanted  to  get  up  on  the 
seat  without  any  one  perceiving  that  he  had  been  on  his  knees. 
So  he  held  his  head  down  far  below  the  top  of  the  seat  in  front  and 
squirmed  and  wriggled  to  get  his  body  on  the  seat.  After  hav- 
ing succeeded  in  his  struggle,  he  slowly  straightened  himself  and 
deliberately  turned  his  head  from  side  to  side  until  he  had  taken 
a  view  of  the  whole  congregation,  in  a  laudable  effort  to  look 
unconcerned ;   but,  in  this,  making  most  lamentable  failure. 

After  I  had  been  here  a  year  or  so  a  lady  came  to  me  want- 
ing to  borrow  one  of  my  sermons.     She  said  that  she  didn't  want 

90 


one  of  the  best  that  I  had  written,  but  an  average  one,  neither  the 
best  nor  the  worst,  and  also  that  she  would  not  tell  me  then  what 
she  wanted  with  it.  but  would  explain  when  she  brought  it  back. 
She  was  not  a  member  of  the  church,  but  an  occasional  attendant 
upon  our  worship.  Of  course  I  told  her  that  she  was  welcome  to 
any  sermon  of  mine  that  she  wanted.  They  were  j^ettinj:^  more 
plentiful  then  and  in  reality  I  did  not  care  whether  she  ever  re- 
turned it  or  not.  I  did  not  know  what  she  contemplated.  Who 
could  have  thouj^ht  that  a  kind  and  pleasant  woman  would,  or 
could,  have  harbored  such  an  intention  as  she  boldly  acknowl- 
edged when,  in  a  few  weeks,  she  returned  the  sermon  and  made 
confession.  She  said  that  she  thoug^ht  she  could  write  a  better 
sermon  than  I  could,  but,  in  order  to  be  sure,  she  wanted  one  of 
mine  to  compare  with  hers  after  she  had  it  written. 

But,  fortunately  for  me,  the  plan  was  a  failure  because,  she 
said,  she  could  not  read  my  writing.  Poor  writings  it  would  then 
appear,  may  sometimes  be  a  desirable  accomplishment.  It  may 
be  that,  in  this  case,  it  saved  my  reputation. 

The  people  of  the  congregation  were  a  good  people,  not  too 
good.  They  all  knew  that  they  were  sinners  and  that  if  saved 
it  must  be  through  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God.  They  made  no 
loud  and  boasting  professions  of  superior  excellency,  not  one  of 
them  claimed  perfect  sanctification,  but  they  felt  it  to  be  their 
privilege  and  duty  to  grow  in  grace  through  use  of  the  ordained 
means  of  grace.  They  knew  that  religion  did  not  come  to  men 
by  chance,  that  it  was  not  mere  feeling,  nor  something  caught  in 
the  midst  of  noise  and  confusion,  as  some  diseases  are  caught  in 
a  fever-laden  atmosphere ;  but  something  that  the  head  had  to 
do  with  as  well  as  the  heart,  something  affecting,  changing,  ele- 
vating and  ennobling  the  whole  man,  making  his  life  clean  here 
and  giving  title  to  share  with  our  Lord  in  the  glories  of  his  pur- 
chased inheritance.  They  knew  from  the  study  of  God's  word  and 
from  having  its  lessons  impressed  upon  them  by  the  preaching 
that  they  had  heard,  that  so  much,  and  no  more,  of  religion  pure 
and  undefiled  exists  in  a  man's  heart  and  comes  out  in  the  actions 
of  his  life,  as  first  goes  in  through  his  head.  I  do  not  mean  to 
say  that  every  one  was  controlled,  in  all  his  actions  by  high  and 

91 


holy  motives  or  that  any  one  was  always  under  this  control,  or 
quickened  by  this  inspiration,  but  this  was  the  ideal  held  before 
them  and  to  which  they  were  approximating.  They  were  not 
perfect  men  and  women,  but  they  were  on  the  road  leading  to 
perfection  —  most  of  them. 

The  people  of  this  generation,  in  the  multitude  of  inventions, 
have  many  advantages  over  the  people  of  forty  or  fifty  years  ago. 
I  trust  that  in  the  hustle,  noise  and  rush  of  what  men  speak  of  as 
the  "strenuous  life,''  you  will  not  forget,  or  cease  to  practice  the 
sterner,  homely  virtues  of  those  whose  movements  were  slower, 
vrhose  material  gains  were  less,  who  did  not  make  haste  to  get 
rich,  but  gained  their  fortunes,  as  they  formed  their  characters, 
by  slower  but  surer  accretions,  by  patient  endurance,  careful 
economy  and  herioc  well-doing.  No  man  gains  heaven's  height  by 
a  single  leap ;  no  man's  character  is  formed  by  a  single  effort ; 
but  saints  are  made,  or  grow,  from  day  by  day,  walking  humbly 
with  their  God. 

But  just  as  you  want  to  nourish  and  cherish  the  sterner 
virtues  of  those  who  have  gone  before  you,  so  also  do  you  want 
to  cultivate  their  kindly  feeling  and  gentle  breeding,  and  so  make 
this  life  a  joy,  and  living  here  a  delight  not  only  to  yourself  but 
to  all  about  you.  A  Christian  should  not  shut  himself  out  from 
the  company  of  others,  should  not  live  in  a  cell,  nor  torment  him- 
self with  constant  penances. 

The  old  people  were  a  social  people  and  you  will  be  the 
better  men  and  women  if  in  this  you  imitate  them.  They  were  a 
people  who  were  fond  of  good  things  to  eat  and  rejoiced  that 
they  were  able  to  have  them,  and,  knowing  that  they  were  in- 
debted to  God  for  all,  that  it  was  He  who  satisfied  their  mouths 
with  good  things  and  they  were  grateful  to  Him  for  His  bounty. 
They  liked  to  have  their  friends  share  with  them  in  these  good 
things,  and  were  never  happier  than  when  they  had  some  of  their 
friends  sit  at  table  with  them. 

I  know  not  at  how  many  good  dinners  I  have  assisted  in 
this  good,  old  town.  1  can  almost  imagine  yet  that  I  see  the 
bountiful  feasts  spread  at  Mr.  Sturgeon's,  Mr.  Weakley's,  the 
Work's,  and  many  others.    And  then  the  country  members.    How 

92 


pleasant  it  was  to  visit  at  Judge  Graybill's,  the  McCleary's,  the 
Ewing's,  Mr.  Duncan's,  the  Wilson's,  Gustin,  Robert  and  Smith, 
at  Major  Carlisle's,  at  Mr.  Gallagher's,  .Mr.  Graham's,  and  with 
that  sturtlv  old  man  who  once  your  friend  was  such  always,  Mr. 
James  Wilson,  up  by  Hooker's.  I  do  not  mean  to  make  a  call  of 
half  an  hour  or  so  at  these  places,  but  to  go  out  in  the  morning 
and  stay  all  day.  walk  around  on  the  fami.  see  the  stock  and  the 
growing  crops. 

Ah,  these  were  splendid  times  and  these  were  glorious  vis- 
its. I  shall  never  forget  them,  nor  the  good  men  and  women, 
most  of  whom  have  taken  their  departure  and  who  now,  I  trust, 
sit  down  to  better  feasts  than  earth  can  provide,  even  the  good 
things  of  Heaven. 

They  had  been  accustomed  to  good  preaching  from  Mr. 
Wright,  Mr.  Cox  and  Dr.  Lowrie  and,  therefore,  they  were  good 
listeners  even  to  my  preaching.  To  listen,  was  a  habit,  wrought 
in  them. 

They  went  to  church  expecting  a  message  from  the  word  of 
God  and  therefore  were  prepared  to  sit  reverently  and  decor- 
ously, in  their  places  hearkening  to  the  words  proclaimed  by  those 
who  were  appointed  to  the  work  of  preaching  by  the  regularly 
constituted  authority  of  the  church  of  God,  upon  w^hose  heads 
had   been   laid   holy,  consecrating  hands. 

They  were  not  themselves  anxious  to  speak  in  meeting.  I 
used  sometimes  to  think  not  quite  ready  enough  to  take  part  in 
exhortation,  etc.,  at  our  prayer  meeting,  but  better  thus,  by  far, 
than  to  be  too  ready,  better  a  reverent  silence  than  a  mechanical 
utterance  of  m.oral  precepts  and  exhortations  made  threadbare  by 
frequent  repetition. 

The  preachers  that  you  have  had  heretofore  have  been,  as 
he  who  ministers  to  you  now  is.  men  who  preached  the  Gospel. 
They  have  not  satisfied  themselves  and  deceived  you  with  a 
stream  of  vague  exhortation  not  founded  and  directly  grounded 
upon  some  doctrine  of  God's  word.  They  knew  better.  They 
knew  that  such  preaching  is,  at  best,  utterly  useless  and  most 
likely  pernicious.  It  is  but  the  wearisome  thumping  of  a  cork- 
wood mallet,  when  the  great  rock  can  only  be  broken  with  a 

93 


hammer  of  iron.  They  wasted  not  your  time  and  theirs  in  the 
abuse  of  other  denominations  of  Christians.  They  had  true  ideas 
of  the  need  that  drives  men  to  church  and  recognized  it  as  far 
different  from  thai;  which  takes  them  to  a  concert  or  a  circus. 
They  knew  that  there  are  to  men  real  needs  and  wants.  That 
they  have,  or  should  have,  called  up  within  them,  hunger  and 
thirst  for  the  meat  that  perishes  not,  for  the  living  water  that  alone 
can  quench  divine  thirst.  They  did  not  spend  their  time  in 
searching  for  sensational  topics  and  in  endeavoring  so  to  present 
them  as  to  make  themselves  popular.  They  were  not  engaged  in 
the  quest  to  find  something  that  would  meet  the  wants  of  the 
present  age.  They  did  not  disgust  you  with  talks  on  current  poli- 
tics, thus  giving  you,  on  the  Sabbath  day,  a  rehash  of  what  you 
read  in  the  daily  papers  and  heard  discussed  on  the  street  corners 
by  ward  heelers,  but  knew  that  it  was  theirs  to  present  with 
power  that  which  is  fitted  for  any  age  and  clime  and  people  — 
God's  ordained  instrument  for  the  salvation  of  men.  My  prayer 
for  you  and  for  those  who  come  after  you,  in  this  church,  is  that 
you  and  they  may  know  what  true  preaching  is  —  may  know  that 
now,  as  when  Christ  sent  out  His  apostles,  the  preacher's  com- 
mission is  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  woe  to  him  who  preaches 
any  other  than  the  Gospel,  woe  upon  those  who  patiently  listen 
to  any  other.  But  continuing  as,  for  an  hundred  years  you  have 
continued,  then  it  shall  be  here,  in  future  generations,  as  it  is  now, 
that  this  church  shall  be  as  a  family  presided  over  by  a  "Scribe, 
which  is  instructed  unto  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  who  "is  like 
unto  a  man  that  is  a  householder,  which  bringeth  forth  out  of  his 
treasure  things  new  and  old." 

"When  a  man's  ways  please  the  Lord,  He  maketh  even  his 
enemies  to  be  at  peace  with  him." 

"Righteous  lips  are  the  delight  of  kings :  and  they  love  him 
that  speaketh  right." 

"Understanding  is  a  wellspring  of  life  unto  him  that  hath  it : 
but  the  instruction  of  fools  is  folly."  —  Prov.  i6. 


9i 


LETTER    OF    REV.    GEO.    H.    FULLERTON, 

D.   D. 

Springfield,  Dmo,  Oct.  14,  1905. 

To  the  Con^rei^aiion  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Lan- 
caster, Ohio: 

Dear  Brethren  : — 1  cannot  promise  to  be  with  you  at  your 
approaching  festival,  and.  along  with  my  regrets,  I  ask  you  to  ac- 
cept of  a  letter  as  my  substitute. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  "Army  of  the  Union"  in  the  autumn 
of  1862  I  received  a  call  to  the  church  at  I^ancaster.  and  entered 
upon  my  work  there  in  December  of  that  year.  I  found  there  an 
appreciative  and  kind  congregation  and  an  eldership  of  more 
than  ordinary  intelligence  and  piety.  I  believe  that  all  of  the 
elders  have  entered  into  the  heavenly  rest.  One  of  them.  Mr. 
L.  H.  Olds,  was  instrumental  in  bringing  me  to  Springfield  nearly 
nineteen  years  ago,  and  a  few  years  since  I  helped  to  close  his 
eyes  and  lav  away  his  feeble  body  in  Fern  Cliff  Cemetery  in  the 
blessed  hope  of  the  resurrection.  I  presume  that  nine-tenths  of 
the  congregation  who  welcomed  me  to  Lancaster  have  passed 
away,  and  that  if  T  could  join  in  your  celebration  I  should  meet 
a  company  of  strangers. 

The  two  years  I  remained  at  Lancaster  were  stirring  ones, 
and  contributed  an  important  epoch  to  m\'  life.  The  Civil  War 
was  in  its  agony ;  and,  as  the  old  people  will  remember,  there 
were  bitter  feelings  concerning  it  in  Lancaster  and  Fairfield 
County,  and  social  and  religious  life  were  seriously  affected  by 
them.  I  attended  the  organization  of  a  new  denomination  whose 
point  of  departure  from  other  creeds  was  opposition  to  the  war. 
The  meeting  was  held  in  the  old  Court  House,  and  what  struck 
me  as  specially  peculiar  was  that  the  organization  was  effected 
without  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  or  singing  of  hymns,  or 
prayer,  or  benediction.     1  do  not  refer  to  this  incident  to  revive 

96 


animosities  that  have  long  been  buried,  but  as  an  illustration 
of  the  spirit  of  those  clays  even  in  church  matters. 

I  am  g-lad  that  I  can  say  that  our  church  maintained  Chris- 
tian unity  during  that  period,  and  that  we  had  a  season  of  revival 
interest  in  which  a  number  of  the  young  people  of  the  congre- 
gation made  a  profession  of  their  faith  in  Christ.  Along  ma- 
terial lines  we  also  made  some  progress  by  improving  our  ascent 
into  the  house  of  the  Lord  by  the  removal  of  some  perilous  stone 
steps  before  the  doors,  in  repairing  the  steeple  that  was  getting 
shaky  with  age,  and  in  relieving  an  angel,  that  had  been  blowing 
a  trumpet  at  the  top  of  the  steeple  since  the  church  was  built,  of 
his  long  and  arduous  services.  Mr.  Thomas  Sturgeon  was  the 
leader  in  this  work  of  repair,  and  all  the  people  cordially  followed 
him. 

But  I  must  not  detain  you  with  these  reminiscences.  Allow 
me  to  say  in  closing  that  I  was  ordained  and  installed  as  pastor  of 
the  church  on  the  4th  of  May,  1863,  and  on  the  12th  of  May 
was  married  to  the  best  young  lady  in  Lancaster,  and  a  daughter 
of  the  church.  Miss  Mary  E.  Work.  Rev.  A.  S.  Dudley,  a  col- 
lege friend  and  still  living  at  Morrow,  Ohio,  performed  the 
ceremony  in  the  old  church.  I  was  badly  frightened,  but  my 
bride  supported  me  and  by  the  good  hand  of  our  God  upon  us 
is  still  continuing  to  stand  by  me  as  our  feet  draw  near  the  shad- 
ows and  sunshine  of  our  "three-score  and  ten."  Owing  to  ill 
health  chiefly,  occasioned  by  my  army  life,  I  left  Lancaster  in 
the  autumn  of  1864,  but  Mrs.  Fullerton  and  I  still  cherish  the 
sacred  memories  of  our  Lancaster  pastorate,  and  during  your 
Centennial  will  join  heartily  in  the  sentiment  of  the  122  Psalm: 
"Pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem ;  they  shall  prosper  that  love 
thee.  Peace  be  within  thy  walls  and  prosperity  within  they  pal- 
aces. For  my  brethren  and  companions'  sakes  I  will  now  say, 
Peace  be  within  thee.  Because  of  the  house  of  the  Lord  our  God 
I  will  seek  thy  good." 

In  the  fellowship  of  the  Everlasting,  I  am  sincerly  yours, 

Geo.  H.  Fullerton. 


96 


Rev.  James  A.   Worden.  D.  D..  LL.  D. 


Rev.  George  H.   Webster 


Rev.   H.  S.   S„.,Jt!r 


K>v.  .)     H.   b..^J 


Rev.   Wm.   MacMillan 


Rev.  John  Gourlcv 


O    LETTER  OF   REV.    H.   S.   SNODGRASS 

Monterey,  Cal.,  Oct.  13,  1905. 
Session  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  Lancaster,  Ohio: 

Dkar  Brothers  in  Christ:  —  Thanks  for  invitation  to  be 
with  you  in  cclcbratinfi:  the  One  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the 
pastorate  of  the  church.  Distance  prevents  acceptance.  Pleased 
to  have  a  place  among,  and  to  be  remembered  with,  the  pastors. 
May  the  blessing-  of  the  Great  Head  of  the  church  rest  upon  you 
as  you  enter  upon  the  History  of  your  Second  Century. 

Greetings  to  the  congregation. 

H.  S.  Snodgrass. 


97 


REV.  JOSEPH   R.   BOYD 

BY   HIS   SON,    WILLIAM    W.    BOYD. 

In  the  beautiful  but  sad  story  of  the  Hfe  of  Joseph,  it  is  re- 
lated that,  when  his  brothers  who  had  sold  him  came  to  Egypt  to 
buy  corn,  he  did  not  at  once  reveal  himself  unto  them.  But  when 
Benjamin,  his  beloved  brother,  came,  the  solicitude  in  Joseph's 
heart  could  be  concealed  no  longer,  so  it  burst  out  in  the  ques- 
tion, "Doth  my  father  yet  live?"  That  question  has  come  to  me 
over  and  over  again,  as  I  have  visited  this  beautiful  little  city. 
For  I  go  to  the  Forest  Rose  Cemetery  and  see  flowers  placed  by 
some  unknown  person  upon  my  father's  grave.  I  hear  your  ques- 
tions of  interest  regarding  my  brother  and  sister  and  concerning 
my  own  affairs.  I  listen  to  the  reminiscences  of  your  experiences 
with  my  father.  I  look  into  the  faces  of  many  of  you  who  were 
led  into  God's  kingdom  under  his  ministration.  All  these  things 
lead  me  say,  "Although  his  body  lies  on  yonder  hillside,  his  spirit 
yet  liveth  here."  That  a  man  may  project  his  life  beyond  his  days, 
it  is  essential  that  he  shall  engage  in  such  activities  as  will  show 
an  active,  earnest  sympathy  in  the  lives  and  welfare  of  others. 
It  was  my  father's  constant  service  for  others  which  made  his 
life  a  joyous  one  and  which  has  projected  its  influence  into  the 
succeeding  generation. 

On  the  first  Sabbath  of  April,  1872,  father  preached  his  first 
sermon  as  pastor  of  this  church  from  the  text,  "Be  of  good 
courage,  and  let  us  play  the  men  for  our  people  and  the  cities  of 
our  God,  and  the  Lord  do  that  which  seemeth  him  good."  — 
2  Sam.  10-12. 

On  the  last  Sabbath  of  March,  1885,  he  preached  his  last 
sermon  as  pastor  of  this  church  from  the  text,  "And  now,  breth- 
ren, I  commend  you  to  God,  and  to  the  word  of  his  grace,  which 
is  able  to  build  you  up,  and  to  give  you  an  inheritance  among 
all  them  which  are  sanctified."  —  Acts  20-32.     It  was  between 

98 


the  proachinp:  of  these  two  sermons  that  my  father  so  impressed 
himself  u])oii  this  community  as  to  he  still  dwelling  here. 

He  always  kept  a  diary  and  the  records  in  those  little  books 
shcnv  the  spirit  and  activity  of  his  life  perhajjs  as  well  as  any- 
thing wc  could  bring  before  you.  January  i,  1872,  he  wrote: 
"We  enter  the  new  year  surrounded  by  mercies.  Thanks  to  God 
for  all  His  kindness.  May  mercy  crown  the  year  until  its  close." 
A  similar  expression  of  this  kind  would  be  found  on  the  first  leaf 
of  every  one  of  his  diaries  which  are  now  in  my  possession. 

I  choose  a  week  at  random  to  show  you  what  lie  was  doing 
constantly : 

Saturday.  Jan.  29,  1881 — "Pleasant  winter  day.  Did  a 
great  deal  of  calling  to-day.  Dr.  Rickey  and  wife  spent  the  even- 
ing here." 

Sunday.  Jan.  30,  1881  —  "Preached  to  a  good  congregation 
from  Acts  26:19.  Mr.  Reid  very  low  in  sickness.  Mr.  W'illock 
died  this  morning.  Preached  at  night  from  Math.  13:4.  Cloudy, 
but  soft  and  thawing  all  day." 

Monday,  Jan.  31,  1881  —  "Mr.  Reid  died  this  morning  about 
3  o'clock.  A  good  man  gone.  Preached  at  night  from  Acts 
2:38." 

Tuesday,  Feb.  i,  1881 — "Brother  Morris  preached  at  night 
— a  good  sermon.  Text:  'Consecrate  yourselves  to  the  Lord 
this  day.'  " 

Wednesday,  Feb.  2,  1881  —  "Preached  from  Isaiah  60:11." 

Thursday,  Feb.  3,  1881 — "Spoke  to-night  from  Deut. 
30:11-20." 

Friday,  Feb.  4,  1881  —  "Spoke  to-night  on  'The  Two  Blind 
Men.'  " 

Saturday,  Feb.  5,  188 1 — "Services  at  2  o'clock.  Preached 
from  I  Cor.  21 :26." 

.Sunday,  Feb.  6,  1881  — "Preached  from  Ex.  12:11.  Loaned 
the  sermon  to  Mrs.  Dr.  Ashbrook.  Afternoon  at  Greenfield  from 
Acts  26-19.  Good  sleighing — never  saw  better.  Roads  very 
smooth.  Bible  reading  at  night  —  'Trust'  —  Lsaiah  26:4.  Com- 
munion Sabbath." 

Monday,  Feb.  7,  1881 — "Went  to  John  Wilson's  in  the 
sleigh  —  good  sleighing.     Called  to  see  Mattie  McFarland.     It 

99 


rained  on  us  from  Carlisle's  home.  There  has  been  good  sleigh- 
ing since  Thanksgiving." 

In  most  of  the  drives  to  the  country,  calling  upon  the  mem- 
bers of  his  church  and  their  neighbors,  mother  was  with  him. 
She  shared  his  labors  and  seemed  to  wear  out  her  life  just  as  he 
was  doing. 

Some  of  father's  characteristics  which  have  caused  him  to 
live  still  are  the  following : 

1.  A  strong  social  nature.  To  understand  this,  one  has  only 
to  recall  a  Thanksgiving  dinner  at  the  Sturgeons,  his  spirit  of 
fun  at  a  church  social,  his  love  of  an  anecdote,  his  frequent  calls, 
his  drives  to  the  country,  his  welcome  to  people  in  his  home  and 
his  Saturday  afternoons  among  the  farmers  on  Main  street.  Every 
community  has  its  "marrying  parson,"  and  for  years  our  home 
seemed  to  be  the  Gretna  Green  of  Fairfield  County, 

2.  His  zvarm  attachments  of  friendships.  His  first  Session 
consisted  of  Robert  Reed,  John  Gravett,  Gustin  Wilson,  F.  A. 
Foster  and  C.  Dresbach.  Afterward,  at  different  times,  there 
were  elected  to  the  session  John  Outcalt,  J.  W,  Rickey,  Wm. 
Stewart,  James  M.  Work,  J.  M.  Sutphen,  G.  W.  Alfred,  W.  T. 
Reese  and  Amos  Graham.  My  father  loved  these  men.  They 
were  like  brothers  to  him.  Always,  in  his  consultation  and  plans 
with  the  trustees,  the  choir,  the  women's  societies,  the  Sabbath 
School  workers,  his  strong  personal  friendship  and  attachments 
for  God's  workers  were  manifest. 

3.  His  broad  spirit  and  charity.  While  he  believed  in  his 
own  church  and  the  correctness  of  his  views,  he  did  not  think 
that  others  were  wholly  wrong.  He  never  condemned  the  be- 
liefs of  other  people,  but  charitably  conceded  that  they  must  be 
looking  from  different  view-points.  His  relations  with  other 
churches  and  even  with  the  Roman  Catholic  people  were  most 
delightful.  He  exchanged  pulpits  frequently  with  other  min- 
isters of  the  city. 

4.  His  appreciation  of  the  opportunities  God  gave  him  for 
"work.     This  was  manifested: 

(a)  In  his  delight  of  souls  saved.  On  Feb.  7,  1874,  he  ad- 
mitted into  this  church  Joshua  Clarke,  Frank  Robinson,  Charles 
Denton,   Charles   Hood,  and   about   thirty  other  persons.      Pre- 

100 


viously  Charles  Bell  hacl  united  with  the  church  and  a  little  later 
there  came  William  Ewing,  John  Cornfield  and  George  Cless. 
Father  felt  that  it  was  worth  livincr  a  decade  just  to  have  such 
a  company  of  youn.c:  men  about  him.  I'nder  his  administration 
W'm.  H.  Hannum  united  with  the  church.  Rev.  Mr.  Hannum  is 
now  a  missionary  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Vengurle,  India, 
fb)  In  the  eagerness  of  his  pastoral  work.  lie  never 
seemed  to  be  too  tired  to  pray  with  and  for  the  sick,  to  comfo;t 
the  bereaved  or  to  encourage  the  depressed.  He  did  net  want 
to  miprcss  the  sorrowing  or  discouraged  with  any  power  of  his 
own.  He  felt  that  he  could  not  satisfy  their  longing  by  any 
use  of  well-chosen  words,  but  he  ministered  constantly  in  the 
spirit  of  the  stanza  which  reads : 

"Come,  ye  disconsolate,  where'er  ye  languish, 

Come  to  the  mercy  seat,  fervently  kneel. 
Here  bring  your  wounded  hearts,  here  tell  your  anguish. 

Earth  has  no  sorrows  that  heaven  can  not  heal." 

(c)  In  the  pleasure  he  took  in  preaching  not  only  to  this 
congregation,  but  to  others.  For  ten  years  he  preached  regu- 
larly every  two  weeks  on  Sunday  afternoon  at  the  little  white 
chapel  in  Greenfield  Twnship.  Once  a  month  he  would  preach 
at  the  Toys'  Industrial  School.  And,  frequently,  he  would  preach 
at  Amand/i,  Royalton,  Pleasantville,  Rushvillc  and  Lilhopolis. 
He  gave  the  service  of  a  long  life-time  to  a  fifty-year  life. 

5.  His  absolute  fidelity  to  duty.  This  can  be  brought  to 
your  attention  most  clearly  probably  by  reading  a  copy  of  a  reso- 
lution passed  by  the  Columbus  Presbytery  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  It  reads :  "Since  tlie  last  meeting  of  Presbytery,  the  Rev. 
J.  R.  Boyd,  recently  a  member  of  this  body,  has  been  called  to 
his  heaven  1}'  reward.  In  testimony  of  the  honor  in  which  his 
memory  is  held  and  as  an  expression  of  our  sense  of  bereave- 
ment of  his  life,  it  is  ordered  that  the  following  minute  be 
entered  upon  the  record :  The  Rev.  Joseph  R.  Boyd  was  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Lancaster  for  thirteen  years,  the  pastorate  termi- 
nating in  April,  1885.  During  that  time,  he  was  an  active, 
elticient  member  of  the  Presbytery  of  Columbus,  regular  in  at- 
tendance diligent  in  service,  known  and  loved  by  us  all.     One 

101 


fact  especially  characterizes  him,  i.  e.,  his  fidelity.  In  his  varied 
relations,  the  thing  that  ought  to  be  done  was  the  thing  that  he  at- 
tempted to  do.  Wherever  duty  led  he  strove  to  go,  even  at  the 
sacrifice  of  time,  health  and  strength,  literally  wearing  himself 
out  in  the  service  of  the  Master.  Kind,  affable,  suave  in  his  man- 
ner, he  was  yet  inflexible  in  his  conviction,  fearless  in  speech, 
and  uncompromising  in  Christian  manliness.  When  the  shades 
from  the  other  world  began  to  fall  across  his  pathway,  and  the 
end  approached,  he  still  exhibited  his  remarkable  fidelity,  preach- 
ing almost  to  the  end  and  using  every  opportunity  to  glorify  the 
Savior  whom  he  loved,  until  the  forces  of  life  were  exhausted 
and  suddenly  he  was  called  away  to  the  rest  that  remaineth  to  the 
people  of  God." 

6.  His  resignation  to  God's  will.  He  seemed  to  have  an 
abiding  faith  in  the  over-ruling  power  of  Jehovah.  When  his 
plans  were  defeated,  when  his  disappointments  came,  his  smile 
expressed  his  confidence  in  God's  way.  His  spirit  seems  to  have 
been  expresed  in  the  words  of  Ella  Wheeler  Wilcox. 

"I  know  as  my  life  grows  older, 

And  my  eyes  have  clearer  sight. 
That  beneath  each  rank  wrong  somewhere 

There  rests  the  root  of  right. 
That  each  sorrow  has  its  purpose 

By  the  sorrowing  oft  unguessed ; 
But,  as  sure  as  the  Siui  brings  morning, 

Whatever  is,  is  best. 

I  know  that  there  are  no  errors 

In  the  great  eternal  plan ; 
That  all  things  work  together 

For  the  final  good  of  man. 
I  know  as  my  soul  speeds  onward 

In  its  grand,  eternal  quest, 
I  shall  say,  as  I  look  back  earthward. 

Whatever  is,  is  best." 

It  would  be  impossible  to  name  over  the  persons  to  whom  my 
father  felt  he  owed  an  indebtedness.     But,  for  assistance  in  the 

102 


pulpit,  he  was  especially  indebted  to  Rev.  E,  B.  Andrews,  who  was 
for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Columbus  Presbytery  and  of  this 
congrejjation. 

After  I  had  received  the  invitation  to  speak  to  you  of  my 
father,  I  tried  to  think  of  what  he  would  want  me  to  say  to  you 
and  I  thoug^ht  I  could  almost  hear  his  voice  whispering  to  me. 
"Tell  them  that  I  am  anxious  still  for  their  salvation  and  for  the 
salvation  of  their  children.'" 


108 


HYMN   AND   LETTER  OF   REV.   WM.  H. 

HANNUM 

HYMN 

On  the  Hundreth  Anniversary  of  the  Foundation  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church,  of  Lancaster,  Ohio. 

Now  praise  to  God  whose  grace  decreed 
Before  the  ages  for  our  need. 
The  world  from  sin  and  death  to  shield. 
And  send  His  Son  His  life  to  yield. 

Behold  the  Christ,  that  radiant  soul. 
In  time  appointed  rise  to  roll 
Away  the  stone  from  o'er  His  head 
And  put  down  death  forever  dead. 

Endued  with  Pentecostal  might, 

Illumined  in  the  cross's  light. 

The  saints  rushed  forth  through  blood  and  flame 

And  triumphed  in  the  sacred  Name. 

Behold,  from  savage  in  his  lair 
To  monarch  throned  in  palace  rare, 
And  monks  withdrawn  through  misled  zeal, 
Men  saved  to  love  and  service  real. 

Ohio's  forests  long  undreampt 
Except  to  beasts  and  man  unkempt. 
Anon  transformed  to  richest  plain, 
From  trophies  to  Messiah's  reign. 

Since  racial  strife  caused  constant  dread, 
A  hundred  years  have  scarcely  sped ; 
But  see,  God's  servants  by  His  grace 
Have  reared  in  peace  this  holy  place. 

104 


Rev.   Wm.   H.   Hiinnur 


For  all  the  triumphs  of  the  years, 
For  all  the  blessingfs,  all  the  tears, 
For  comrades  here  and  those  above, 
All  praise  to  Thee,  our  God  of  love! 


To  the  brethren  in  Christ,  which  arc  at  Lancaster,  in  the 
State  of  Ohio,  called  to  be  saints  in  the  eternal  and  universal 
church,  slathered  out  of  the  world  by  the  grace  of  God,  and  known 
in  the  world  as  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  Lancaster,  grace 
mercy  and  peace  be  unto  you  all. 

Though  I  should  from  the  heart  wish  to  be  personally  pres- 
ent, T  count  it  joy  to  be  pennitted  to  have  a  part  with  you  in  the 
spirit  in  your  festal  days  of  commemoration  of  the  work  of  God 
at  Lancaster,  for  though  in  the  body  I  am  far  removed,  yet  your 
love  and  fellowship  have  formed  and  do  form  a  large  part  of  my 
life.  Yea,  if  I  have  aught  of  life,  T  owe  it  to  you  and  to  the  friends 
who  were  with  you,  whom  "I  have  loved  long  since  and  lost 
aw  hile."  Was  it  not  in  your  cluirch  that  I  was  nourished  from 
earliest  infancy,  having  been  received, — in  those  venerable  walls 
not  now  visible  indeed  but  not  therefore  the  less  real  to  memory, 
— before  memory's  dawn  had  broken  upon  me,  by  the  holy  sac- 
rament, into  the  visible  flock  of  God  ?  There  also,  in  the  Sunday 
School,  I  was  instructed  in  the  word,  and  in  the  form  of  sound 
doctrine,  of  which  I  preserve  to  this  day  as  witness  a  small  copy 
of  the  Scriptures,  signed  by  the  elders  who  w^ere  at  that  time  in 
charge  of  such  work.  There  too  I  was  led  to  stand  in  a  goodly 
company  of  youthful  companions  and  confess  Christ  before  the 
congregation.  To  that  church  have  we  all  turned  in  times  of  sor- 
row for  the  comfort  that  the  Lord  ministers  through  the  sym- 
pathy of  fellow-believers,  and  in  times  of  darkness  for  the  light 
that  He  causes  to  shine  forth  from  the  preached  word.  There  too 
I  received,  by  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  Presbytery,  the 
commission  to  a  life  of  special  service  in  the  Gospel.  Many 
of  those  who  thus  took  part  in  that  memorable  exercise  have 
gone  to  distant  parts,  and  some  to  join  the  general  assembly  en- 
rolled in  Heaven.  In  your  church,,  too,  I  was  permitted  several 
times  to  speak  when  I  had  come  back  from  India  to  sojourn  with 
you, 

105 


Who  shall  measure  the  influence,  powerful,  though  quiet, 
that  the  church  has  had  in  the  village,  the  town  and  the  city 
of  Lancaster  during  these  hundred  years?  The  work  of  the 
church  is  not  to  be  expressed  merely  in  the  numbers  of  those 
who  have  been  written  down  as  partakers  of  the  sacraments. 
The  real  mission  of  the  church  is  far  broader  than  the  making 
of  proselytes.  It  is  the  unseen  leaven  entering  a  thousand  par- 
ticles in  the  stuff  of  society,  enriching,  uplifting  and  transforming 
the  whole  mass  and  endowing  it  with  the  noblest  gifts.  Thanks  be 
to  God  for  His  marvelous  in-working. 

I  pray  to  God  on  your  behalf  that  He  would  grant  to  you 
all  still  greater  measures  of  power  to  testify  by  word  and  by  life 
to  those  who  are  without ;  and  that  He  would  make  more  abun- 
dant within  you  that  life  with  which  you  have  glorified  Him  these 
past  years;  that  you  may  be  entirely  devoted,  with  all  that  you 
have  and  are,  life,  time,  money,  sympathy  and  prayful  yearning, 
to  the  service  of  the  human  race  for  Christ's  sake ;  and  that  you 
may,  as  the  Master  also  did,  minister  to  every  kind  of  need  of  the 
human  soul,  and  to  every  kind  of  man,  woman  and  child  whom 
you  can  reach.  The  scribes,  the  Pharisees,  the  publicans,  the  har- 
lots, the  rich  and  the  poor  are  still  with  us.  Seek  also  for  every 
kind  of  honorable  preparation  for  this  broad  service.  Those  who 
teach  should  themselves  be  soundly  taught;  those  who  are  al- 
moners of  your  bounty  to  the  poor  should  diligently  seek  out  the 
most  judicious  methods  now  approved  in  the  churches ;  and  those 
who  have  the  oversight  and  gi\'e  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  to 
the  stranger  should  be  prepared  to  name  to  every  brother  and 
sister  who  joins  you  some  appropriate  form  of  devoted  service  in 
the  church.  Especially  do  I  long  for  these  two  things ;  that  the 
hearts  of  the  fathers  and  the  children  be  so  turned  toward  one 
another  that  families  may  be  kept  unbroken  in  the  communion  of 
the  church ;  and  that  I  may  hear  of  many  of  the  youth  whom  you 
will  send  forth  to  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel. 

So  may  the  next  century  of  the  church's  life  be  so  abun- 
dantly fruitful  in  the  joy  and  peace  of  the  city  and  of  the  state, 
and  in  the  salvation  of  souls  throughout  the  earth,  as  to  make 
your  first  century  seem  but  a  humble  though  beautiful  vestibule 
to  the  great  and  honorable  mansion  whose  plans  the   Master- 

106 


builder  Himself  is  laying  before  you.    And  to  His  Name  be  the 
glory  through  the  ages.    Amen. 

This  epistle  was  written  from  Vcngurle,  India,  on  the  eight- 
eenth day  of  September,  1905,  by  your  brother  in  Christ, 

William  Hamilton  Han  num. 


107 


INTERESTING   MEMENTOES   ON    EXHIBI- 
TION  DURING  THE  CENTENNIAL 

1.  Certificate  of  membership  of  Rebecca  Ramsey  from  Cir- 
cleville,  Feb.  4,  1831. 

2.  Marriage  warrant  or  license — John  VanPelt  and  Adeline 
Lowking,  Lancaster,  May  23,  1830. 

3.  Marriage  license — J.  S.  Conger  and  Pauline  B.  Clark, 
Lancaster,  Dec.  23,  1824. 

Marriage  license — names  indistinct,  Lancaster,  Dec.  21,  1824. 
(Both  of  these  signed  Mr.  Boyle,  elk.) 

4.  Certificate  that  Rev.  John  Wright  is  a  regular  ordained 
minister,  etc.,  etc.    Ohio  Presbytery,  June  29,  1806. 

5.  ]\tarriage  license — Fairfield  County,  Aug.  15,  1833. 

6.  Call  of  Rev.  John  Wright  by  congregations  of  Hocking 
and  Rush  Creek,  Mar.  15,  1805. 

7.  Deed  to  lot  M,  Lancaster,  from  David  Moore  to  John 
Wright,  Oct.  23,  1807,  $200. 

7.  Notes — $2.50  from  John  Martin,  1829;  $4.00  from  John 
M,  Lawrence,  1825  ;  $2.75  from  James  Pugh,  1824. 

8.  Manuscript — a  sort  of  catechism,  endorsed  "John  Wright 
minister  of  the  Gospel  at  Lancaster  and  Rush  Creek." 

9.  Deed  of  house  and  lot,  when  he  sold  in  1836,  for  $4,000. 

10.  Bible  presented  to  Rev.  John  WVight  by  his  father, 
John  Wright,  Esq.,  who  was  born  in  1745.  This  Bible  was  used 
bv  Mr.  Wright  as  n  pulpit  Bible  and  it  was  used  in  the  pulpit  on 
Sabbath  morning,  Oct.  22,  1905,  in  connection  with  the  Centen- 
nial exercises.  This  Bible  is  now  the  property  of  Capt.  John  New- 
ton W'right,  of  the  United  States  Marines.  The  above  articles 
were  furnished  by  the  family  of  Capt.  Irvin  B.  Wright. 

11.  Oil  portrait  of  Rev.  John  Wright,  furnished  by  ?.Ir. 
and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Graves. 

108 


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